Sports
Peavy Trade Makes Sense For Phillies
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| Jake Peavy has been on the trading block for several months, but there are no indications the Phillies are interested even though their starting pitching has been a disappointment this season. (Denis Poroy/Associated Press) |
By DREW SILVERMAN, The Bulletin
Let’s start with the facts:
• The Padres are actively trying to trade their No. 1 starter, Jake Peavy.
• Peavy, the 2007 Cy Young Award winner, prefers to stay in the National League.
• The Phillies’ starting pitching is among the worst in the NL.
There are other things that we know too. Peavy has a no-trade clause and invoked his right to veto any deal last Thursday, when he passed on a trade that would have sent him to the White Sox. We also know that San Diego needs to move its ace right-hander shortly, as the team is currently $5 million over its self-imposed salary-cap budget of $40 million.
So, where could the Phillies come into all of this? Well, to this point, there have not been any indications that they are interested in Peavy or that the two-time All-Star would even consider a trade to Philadelphia. But all that said, Peavy to the Phillies is a deal that makes sense for several reasons.
First, take a look at the possible destinations for Peavy. He wants to stay in the NL, but the Padres, for obvious reasons, would prefer to not trade him to one of their division rivals. That leaves 11 other NL teams, but it’s safe to eliminate low-budget organizations like the Marlins and Pirates and teams with weak farm systems such as the Astros and Nationals (even the Mets and Cubs are running low on prospects).
When it comes down to it, the Phillies are one of the most sensible destinations for Peavy, who currently leads the league in both strikeouts and innings pitched and won 19 games as recently as two years ago.
If the Padres send him to Philadelphia, rather than Los Angeles or San Francisco, they’ll only have to worry about facing him once or twice each season. The Phillies also have some quality pitching prospects that they could ship back to San Diego, as well as Lou Marson, an elite Triple-A catcher that the Padres could really use.
The White Sox’s deal that Peavy rejected was for a quartet of prospects, including Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richards —two of the top names in Chicago’s farm system. Thus, it’s reasonable to assume the Phillies would have to pony up Carlos Carrasco and/or J.A. Happ, as well as somebody like Marson, who would immediately become the best catcher on the Padres’ major league roster.
The Phillies’ farm system isn’t loaded with talent, but they certainly have enough prospects to get a deal done. It would cost them three or four of their top youngsters, but it would undoubtedly be worth it at this point.
Entering last night’s game with the Marlins, the Phillies’ starters were just 13-12 with a hideous 6.03 ERA. Opponents were hitting .304 against the Phils’ rotation, which had allowed 51 home runs in only 229 2⁄3 innings.
Cole Hamels is getting healthier and Brett Myers has steadied himself after a rough start, but Chan Ho Park has already been yanked from the rotation in favor of Happ, while Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer may not be far behind.
Blanton is 2-3 with a 7.11 ERA and has gone more than six innings only once in his first eight starts. Moyer entered last night 3-4 with a 7.62 ERA in eight starts, none of which have lasted more than six innings. Park had one win and a 7.08 ERA when he was demoted to the bullpen last week.
In this case, the numbers don’t lie. The Phillies are in desperate need of a starting pitcher. Realistically, removing Moyer from the rotation is not an option, nor is trading him. Blanton could potentially be dealt, but pitchers with a 7.11 ERA aren’t exactly in high demand these days. So, that leaves the No. 5 spot in the rotation — currently occupied by Happ — as the only position that could still be upgraded.
If acquired, Peavy would join forces with Hamels to give the Phillies arguably the top 1-2 punch in Major League Baseball. They would have two legitimate aces — one left-handed and one right-handed — and all of a sudden, Myers, Moyer and Blanton don’t look so bad as the team’s third, fourth and fifth starters.
Of course, adding Peavy’s $8 million salary this season (a number that nearly doubles next year) wouldn’t be easy for the Phillies to swallow, but the organization needs to realize that the time is now. As early as a couple of years ago, it became obvious that 2008 to 2011 was the four-year window for the Phillies to win it all with their current core of players. Peavy, who is signed through 2012, fits nicely with the team’s window to compete for another title and, at age 27, he’s right in the heart of his prime.
At this time last year, Peavy likely would have been apprehensive about coming to the Phillies due to the home run haven that is Citizens Bank Park. But if Hamels (2.99 in ’08) and Myers (3.01 in ’08) can post excellent home ERAs, then there’s no reason Peavy couldn’t do the same. Also, it’s impossible to ignore what those two magical words — “world champions” — can do to change a man’s mind.
Speaking of which, it’s evident that following the Phils’ run to the World Series last year, there hasn’t been the same focus this season. And it’s not just the poor starting pitching or the lousy start for Jimmy Rollins or the fact that Jose Mesa has taken over Brad Lidge’s body. It’s the defensive mistakes. It’s the base running lapses. It’s the mental errors that don’t show up in the box score.
That’s why the Phillies need to add a player of Peavy’s caliber to inject some life into their roster. Look at the last few teams that repeated as world champions. The 2000 Yankees picked up David Justice during the season. The year before that, the Yanks repeated after acquiring Roger Clemens in a trade with the Blue Jays. And six years earlier, Toronto won its second straight championship after adding Rickey Henderson to its already talented roster.
If the Phillies plan to sit back with their current roster, they’re not going to win the World Series. Not because they aren’t good enough, but because they aren’t lucky enough. It’s just too hard to win back-to-back titles. There are too many things that have to go right and it’s obvious (ahem, Lidge, ahem) that things are not going to be perfect this year.
Thus, the need to go the extra mile, the need to bring Jake Peavy to Philadelphia, the need to do whatever it takes to make a run at another championship. If it hasn’t already been made clear, the NL is wide open this season. The Mets, Cubs and Dodgers, just like the Phillies, have problems of their own. But if any of those teams land Peavy, it would become the immediate favorite to win the pennant.
Last year, the Phils made a quiet move by acquiring Blanton at the deadline. But that was then, when Hamels was fully healthy, Moyer was rock solid and Lidge was perfect. At the time, the move was sufficient. Now, more is needed. Much more.
If it costs them Happ, so be it. If the price includes Marson, good riddance. To get something, you have to give up something, and Peavy is much more than just something. He is one of the top five pitchers in the National League, a potential difference-maker in the pennant race and a player the Phillies absolutely need to go after.
Whatever the cost may be.
Drew Silverman can be reached at dsilverman@thebulletin.us
• The Padres are actively trying to trade their No. 1 starter, Jake Peavy.
• Peavy, the 2007 Cy Young Award winner, prefers to stay in the National League.
• The Phillies’ starting pitching is among the worst in the NL.
There are other things that we know too. Peavy has a no-trade clause and invoked his right to veto any deal last Thursday, when he passed on a trade that would have sent him to the White Sox. We also know that San Diego needs to move its ace right-hander shortly, as the team is currently $5 million over its self-imposed salary-cap budget of $40 million.
So, where could the Phillies come into all of this? Well, to this point, there have not been any indications that they are interested in Peavy or that the two-time All-Star would even consider a trade to Philadelphia. But all that said, Peavy to the Phillies is a deal that makes sense for several reasons.
First, take a look at the possible destinations for Peavy. He wants to stay in the NL, but the Padres, for obvious reasons, would prefer to not trade him to one of their division rivals. That leaves 11 other NL teams, but it’s safe to eliminate low-budget organizations like the Marlins and Pirates and teams with weak farm systems such as the Astros and Nationals (even the Mets and Cubs are running low on prospects).
When it comes down to it, the Phillies are one of the most sensible destinations for Peavy, who currently leads the league in both strikeouts and innings pitched and won 19 games as recently as two years ago.
If the Padres send him to Philadelphia, rather than Los Angeles or San Francisco, they’ll only have to worry about facing him once or twice each season. The Phillies also have some quality pitching prospects that they could ship back to San Diego, as well as Lou Marson, an elite Triple-A catcher that the Padres could really use.
The White Sox’s deal that Peavy rejected was for a quartet of prospects, including Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richards —two of the top names in Chicago’s farm system. Thus, it’s reasonable to assume the Phillies would have to pony up Carlos Carrasco and/or J.A. Happ, as well as somebody like Marson, who would immediately become the best catcher on the Padres’ major league roster.
The Phillies’ farm system isn’t loaded with talent, but they certainly have enough prospects to get a deal done. It would cost them three or four of their top youngsters, but it would undoubtedly be worth it at this point.
Entering last night’s game with the Marlins, the Phillies’ starters were just 13-12 with a hideous 6.03 ERA. Opponents were hitting .304 against the Phils’ rotation, which had allowed 51 home runs in only 229 2⁄3 innings.
Cole Hamels is getting healthier and Brett Myers has steadied himself after a rough start, but Chan Ho Park has already been yanked from the rotation in favor of Happ, while Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer may not be far behind.
Blanton is 2-3 with a 7.11 ERA and has gone more than six innings only once in his first eight starts. Moyer entered last night 3-4 with a 7.62 ERA in eight starts, none of which have lasted more than six innings. Park had one win and a 7.08 ERA when he was demoted to the bullpen last week.
In this case, the numbers don’t lie. The Phillies are in desperate need of a starting pitcher. Realistically, removing Moyer from the rotation is not an option, nor is trading him. Blanton could potentially be dealt, but pitchers with a 7.11 ERA aren’t exactly in high demand these days. So, that leaves the No. 5 spot in the rotation — currently occupied by Happ — as the only position that could still be upgraded.
If acquired, Peavy would join forces with Hamels to give the Phillies arguably the top 1-2 punch in Major League Baseball. They would have two legitimate aces — one left-handed and one right-handed — and all of a sudden, Myers, Moyer and Blanton don’t look so bad as the team’s third, fourth and fifth starters.
Of course, adding Peavy’s $8 million salary this season (a number that nearly doubles next year) wouldn’t be easy for the Phillies to swallow, but the organization needs to realize that the time is now. As early as a couple of years ago, it became obvious that 2008 to 2011 was the four-year window for the Phillies to win it all with their current core of players. Peavy, who is signed through 2012, fits nicely with the team’s window to compete for another title and, at age 27, he’s right in the heart of his prime.
At this time last year, Peavy likely would have been apprehensive about coming to the Phillies due to the home run haven that is Citizens Bank Park. But if Hamels (2.99 in ’08) and Myers (3.01 in ’08) can post excellent home ERAs, then there’s no reason Peavy couldn’t do the same. Also, it’s impossible to ignore what those two magical words — “world champions” — can do to change a man’s mind.
Speaking of which, it’s evident that following the Phils’ run to the World Series last year, there hasn’t been the same focus this season. And it’s not just the poor starting pitching or the lousy start for Jimmy Rollins or the fact that Jose Mesa has taken over Brad Lidge’s body. It’s the defensive mistakes. It’s the base running lapses. It’s the mental errors that don’t show up in the box score.
That’s why the Phillies need to add a player of Peavy’s caliber to inject some life into their roster. Look at the last few teams that repeated as world champions. The 2000 Yankees picked up David Justice during the season. The year before that, the Yanks repeated after acquiring Roger Clemens in a trade with the Blue Jays. And six years earlier, Toronto won its second straight championship after adding Rickey Henderson to its already talented roster.
If the Phillies plan to sit back with their current roster, they’re not going to win the World Series. Not because they aren’t good enough, but because they aren’t lucky enough. It’s just too hard to win back-to-back titles. There are too many things that have to go right and it’s obvious (ahem, Lidge, ahem) that things are not going to be perfect this year.
Thus, the need to go the extra mile, the need to bring Jake Peavy to Philadelphia, the need to do whatever it takes to make a run at another championship. If it hasn’t already been made clear, the NL is wide open this season. The Mets, Cubs and Dodgers, just like the Phillies, have problems of their own. But if any of those teams land Peavy, it would become the immediate favorite to win the pennant.
Last year, the Phils made a quiet move by acquiring Blanton at the deadline. But that was then, when Hamels was fully healthy, Moyer was rock solid and Lidge was perfect. At the time, the move was sufficient. Now, more is needed. Much more.
If it costs them Happ, so be it. If the price includes Marson, good riddance. To get something, you have to give up something, and Peavy is much more than just something. He is one of the top five pitchers in the National League, a potential difference-maker in the pennant race and a player the Phillies absolutely need to go after.
Whatever the cost may be.
Drew Silverman can be reached at dsilverman@thebulletin.us
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