Kyle Lohse is off the board, CC Sabathia is going to be out of reach for most teams and Derek Lowe might have more suitors than any pitcher on the market -- a dynamic that will drive his asking price well beyond $50 million. If you are a team in need of serious pitching help, there is a distinct possibility that you will be left standing when the free-agent game of musical chairs stops.
With that in mind, executives around baseball are creating a list of pitchers who could be traded. Among those:
Jake Peavy, Padres: He won the 2007 Cy Young Award and posted a solid 10-11 record with a 2.85 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 173 2/3 innings this season. He is under contract for the next four seasons, at salaries of $8 million, $15 million, $16 million and $17 million (with a $22 million option for 2013). But he has become increasingly vocal in his frustration with the Padres, and with the team reducing its payroll to something in the neighborhood of $50 million this year, Peavy's salary will increasingly become top-heavy within the San Diego budget. General manager Kevin Towers has been quoted as saying the Padres have no untouchable players, and there are executives who say they think Peavy could be taken for the right package of prospects. Peavy has a full no-trade clause and would have to agree to any deal.
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Buster Olney
