Organization feeling out trade offers for Padres staff ace Peavy
Tom Krasovic (Contact)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Kevin Towers said he would be "shirking his duties" if he did not find out Jake Peavy's trade value.
Kevin Towers said last month it would be “very, very difficult to trade Jake Peavy” because of the ace pitcher's value to the Padres. Nonetheless, the general manager is open to trade offers for Peavy, who has guaranteed salaries of $11 million, $15 million, $16 million and $17 million over the next four years.
If the Padres decide to trade Peavy, getting full value may be difficult as well if Peavy is unwilling to approve a trade to the American League.
At season's end, Peavy said he would not accept a trade to the American League. Asked recently if that is still true, Peavy said he didn't “want to get into any speculation” on trade scenarios.
His agent, Barry Axelrod, acknowledged that the American League isn't Peavy's first choice.
“Jake has a strong preference to stay in the National League,” Axelrod said. “It is hypothetical, but Jake, by any measure, has had a great deal of success in the National League. He has a comfort level with knowing how to approach hitters here.”
Axelrod said Peavy also considers his hitting ability an advantage in the NL, because he is a better hitter than many opposing pitchers. Peavy batted .265 last season, one year after batting .233.
Peavy isn't the only pitcher who prefers the NL, which exempts the designated hitter. Greg Maddux, a friend and mentor of Peavy's, often has quipped that he stayed in the NL for his entire career because he's “not stupid.”
Axelrod made one concrete stipulation to any trade scenarios: “Jake would only approve a trade to a team with a solid chance of winning and a winning tradition. Those teams in the National League may be in locations that are more acceptable, or would be.”
He said “the ability or opportunity to win is very important to Jake, and hopefully some sort of coincidence with his and his family's lifestyle.”
Among the cities Axelrod mentioned were Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and St. Louis.
Peavy and his wife Katie have three boys, one an infant, and this year moved into a home north of San Diego. Because of Peavy's intention to keep his family in San Diego for at least part of the year, Axelrod acknowledged that the Anaheim Angels are one AL club that would draw extra consideration.
But the Padres are first in his heart, said Peavy, though less so if it means more seasons resembling this year's 63-99 clunker.
“My first choice is to be in San Diego, with a team that is going to do everything they can do to be a postseason team and try to win a World Series,” said Peavy, who received full no-trade powers as part of the three-year, $52 million extension signed last December.
“That's first and foremost what I want to happen, and why I signed this contract – because I love San Diego,” he said.
Said Axelrod, a self-described Padres fan who is based in Encinitas: “If there's a commitment to fix it, and believe me, Jake is watching carefully, more on the short term than the long term, then I think Jake would love to be here. If this is a true rebuilding situation, it doesn't make sense to Jake or the Padres for him to be here.”
Asked if a potential trade partner would need to guarantee Peavy's $22 million option for 2013, which carries a $4 million buyout, Axelrod didn't give a specific answer.
“One of the reasons for that (no-trade clause) is we took an under-market deal to stay here, and the reason we did that was to stay here,” Axelrod said. “A $52 million extension or in the range of a $70 million deal for five years in San Diego is a different configuration than that same type of deal in a New York or Boston.”
Making use of no-trade powers the Padres and Axelrod had negotiated, slugger Phil Nevin, an Axelrod client, vetoed trades to the Reds and Orioles earlier this decade. Padres right fielder Brian Giles, exercising partial no-trade powers that the Padres and agent Joe Bick had negotiated, vetoed a trade to the Red Sox in August. Giles, 37, would regain full no-trade powers if the Padres picked up his $9 million option for 2009, which Towers again said is likely to happen.
Tom Krasovic (Contact)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Kevin Towers said last month it would be “very, very difficult to trade Jake Peavy” because of the ace pitcher's value to the Padres. Nonetheless, the general manager is open to trade offers for Peavy, who has guaranteed salaries of $11 million, $15 million, $16 million and $17 million over the next four years.
If the Padres decide to trade Peavy, getting full value may be difficult as well if Peavy is unwilling to approve a trade to the American League.
At season's end, Peavy said he would not accept a trade to the American League. Asked recently if that is still true, Peavy said he didn't “want to get into any speculation” on trade scenarios.
His agent, Barry Axelrod, acknowledged that the American League isn't Peavy's first choice.
“Jake has a strong preference to stay in the National League,” Axelrod said. “It is hypothetical, but Jake, by any measure, has had a great deal of success in the National League. He has a comfort level with knowing how to approach hitters here.”
Axelrod said Peavy also considers his hitting ability an advantage in the NL, because he is a better hitter than many opposing pitchers. Peavy batted .265 last season, one year after batting .233.
Peavy isn't the only pitcher who prefers the NL, which exempts the designated hitter. Greg Maddux, a friend and mentor of Peavy's, often has quipped that he stayed in the NL for his entire career because he's “not stupid.”
Axelrod made one concrete stipulation to any trade scenarios: “Jake would only approve a trade to a team with a solid chance of winning and a winning tradition. Those teams in the National League may be in locations that are more acceptable, or would be.”
He said “the ability or opportunity to win is very important to Jake, and hopefully some sort of coincidence with his and his family's lifestyle.”
Among the cities Axelrod mentioned were Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and St. Louis.
Peavy and his wife Katie have three boys, one an infant, and this year moved into a home north of San Diego. Because of Peavy's intention to keep his family in San Diego for at least part of the year, Axelrod acknowledged that the Anaheim Angels are one AL club that would draw extra consideration.
But the Padres are first in his heart, said Peavy, though less so if it means more seasons resembling this year's 63-99 clunker.
“My first choice is to be in San Diego, with a team that is going to do everything they can do to be a postseason team and try to win a World Series,” said Peavy, who received full no-trade powers as part of the three-year, $52 million extension signed last December.
“That's first and foremost what I want to happen, and why I signed this contract – because I love San Diego,” he said.
Said Axelrod, a self-described Padres fan who is based in Encinitas: “If there's a commitment to fix it, and believe me, Jake is watching carefully, more on the short term than the long term, then I think Jake would love to be here. If this is a true rebuilding situation, it doesn't make sense to Jake or the Padres for him to be here.”
Asked if a potential trade partner would need to guarantee Peavy's $22 million option for 2013, which carries a $4 million buyout, Axelrod didn't give a specific answer.
“One of the reasons for that (no-trade clause) is we took an under-market deal to stay here, and the reason we did that was to stay here,” Axelrod said. “A $52 million extension or in the range of a $70 million deal for five years in San Diego is a different configuration than that same type of deal in a New York or Boston.”
Making use of no-trade powers the Padres and Axelrod had negotiated, slugger Phil Nevin, an Axelrod client, vetoed trades to the Reds and Orioles earlier this decade. Padres right fielder Brian Giles, exercising partial no-trade powers that the Padres and agent Joe Bick had negotiated, vetoed a trade to the Red Sox in August. Giles, 37, would regain full no-trade powers if the Padres picked up his $9 million option for 2009, which Towers again said is likely to happen.
