Yankees to play third wheel in Peavy deal?
By Joe Pawlikowski
While most of the Yankees' off-season attention has been focused on free agent CC Sabathia, their attention also lies elsewhere. We've heard some pretty scary rumors involving A.J. Burnett. Thankfully, Kat was able to find a source to strike that down. True, some Yankees fans would welcome a pitcher with the stuff of Burnett, but does anyone want him for five years and $80 million?
On the trade front, we've heard a good deal about Jake Peavy. The Padres ace is on the trading block, and GM Kevin Towers has said that "[t]he train's kind of left the station." The obstacle, of course, is Peavy's no-trade clause, which allows him to interfere with the team's negotiations. He's said he'd be willing to waive it for a select few teams, including the Cubs and the Braves, but nothing appears to be cooking with them.
Rumor has it the Yankees have been involved in talks, but at what price? Brian Cashman wouldn't trade Phil Hughes last year for Johan Santana, a lefty ace who is proven in the American League. So why part with the same player for a pitcher who spends half his time in the league's most pitcher-friendly park in the league's worst division? If we're to believe Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees might be able to get a deal done without including the 22-year-old righty.
Still, a deal doesn't seem likely. At the very least, it would involve exercising Peavy's $22 million option for 2013. It might even involve a further extension. While we have heard, again from Rosenthal, that Towers and Cashman have had "numerous talks," they might not be directly for Peavy. Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune suggests a third team might get involved. Could Cashman be positioning himself as that third team, a la Billy Beane in the Jeff Weaver trade of 2002?
Perhaps the third wheel is the best place for the Yankees at this point. Yes, it would be nice to acquire Peavy to pair with (hopefully) CC Sabathia at the top of the rotation. However, if Cashman can bring home a few useful parts while sending Peavy to the Cubs or Braves, Yankees fans should be happy.
Joe Pawlikowski writes for River Ave. Blues. He can be reached here.
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Comments (16)
The current Yankee Mgt. seem far more willing to sign free agents, than trade good, young, cheap talent. They wouldn't trade for Santana, and will not trade for Peavy or "spare parts" as a 3rd wheel. I see them signing Sheets, and or Oliver Perez before getting involved in any possible trade triangle. What does San Diego have other than Adrian Gonzalez that we would want? If they want a better 1st baseman than Swisher, they'll simply try to sign TEX.
River Ave Blues is a great site for up to date Yankee information as well good discussions/debate. Blows away majority of the Yankee blogs.
Good stuff with that Rosenthal link.
I was just reading Jim Callis's BBA chat and there were some interesting questions posed about the Yankees' CF situation. So I thought I would throw out some suggestions:
1. sign Jim Edmonds 1 year 7 mil - Edmonds, when he went to the Cubs, became productive again, true that may have had something to do with the friendly confines and the fact that the other parks in the NL Central are hitter friendly - but Yankee Stadium has always been kind to LH hitters and the new park is going to mirror the original in that regard.
2. trade for Mike Cameron. Cameron can still run down a ball and hit with some power. He has a 1 year 10 mil deal.
3. trade for Randy Winn. Like Cameron, Winn's on the last year of his deal and can still run down a fly ball. Unlike Cameron he brings a completely different skill set to the plate. More diciplined, less power. - Neither Cameron nor Winn should require a big time player in return.
4. Move Damon to CF and sign a corner OF (Manny or Dunn). Would the offensive production of a Manny or Dunn be worth the defensive liability that would come from having Damon in CF?
5. sign Rocco Baldelli. He's 27 but a huge injury risk given his medical condition. I don't know if he can handle playing CF everyday or if he'll last the length of his contract. When he's healthy though he's a phenomenal talent.
6. Give the kids a chance. Was Brett Gardner's .280 OBP a blip on the radar? Did Melky have an off year? Should they just turn the position over to uber prospect Austin Jackson a year early?
7. The blockbuster - do you make a trade of Phil Hughes for Josh Hamilton or Jay Bruce? Do you try to get Nate McLouth, Hunter Pence or Matt Kemp for Cano?
8. The fallen star - how about a trade for a top prospect who has lost some luster - like Lastings Milledge or Arizona's Chris Young?
For whatever my opinion is worth... the best route is give the kids a chance
If you bring in a Winn or an Edmonds, then you are in this same situation next year
And if Damon COULD play center, why would they be looking for one?
Sully -
I tend to agree on Winn, Edmonds, Cameron - of course the argument could be made that by next year Austin Jackson just takes over.
If it were me - I would either play Gardner (if he can't hack it I'm sure there are in season trades that could be made for these same veterans) or bring in another young kid for some young pitching.
How do you feel about the Sox getting in on the Burnett sweeps?
Bosox need to come up with their own ideas and quit stealing our guys ideas. Burnett will be a great addition, no matter what you guys say.
With our bullpen, he could throw 180-200 innings and still be a winner. DeJesus would be great in centerfield. Use Gardner off the bench and demote/trade Melky. He has peaked already. If Swisher is our 1st baseman, he should hit in the Brosus spot - 9th. And keep Lowe - he doesn't want to come here and we don't want a 36 year old pitcher. Go back home to Sully.
You trade for either hamilton OR Delmon Young those are the guys you trade for The CF in Pitt has Abreaitis when it comes to chasing down balls at the wall..
Sup Joe!
You had a GREAT career Moose you'll aways be a great yankee! Feel bad you couldn't get that ring with us, but you're a great guy. Have a splendid retirement! Thanks for those great yrs and for those memories! Perfect way to go out...on top! (Assuming Ken Rosenthal has it right).
Larry,
Saw your post on the last thread. Now there's another guy (STRAIGHT TALKER) who thinks like we do in Perez being a good pick up.
Us "old" guys believe that a pitcher doesn't have to throw the ball through a wall to be successful. He has to hit his spots, get ahead in the count and put guys away when he gets that chance.
The problem with Oliver Perez has never been his stuff - it's the fact that you don't know where the pitches are going half the time. He's so wild that he generally throws 100 pitches in 5 innings in the NL - in the AL he'll get to that number in 3 or 4 IP.
We talk a lot about what the rotation would look like with CC and Burnett/Lowe - but what if the Yankees miss out on all of them?
Overpay for Sheets and Ollie and bring back Andy or go with Hughes and Joba?
Wang
Sheets
Ollie
Joba
Andy/Hughes/Kennedy?
Between injury questions with Sheets, Joba, Hughes, and Wang and consistancy issues with Ollie and Hughes, that's a pretty big "hold your breath and pray" rotation. And it relies on two guys (Ollie and Sheets) who have had no experience, let alone success, in the American League.
Great point Chip. We are going to have to take one of the two despite their injury history. I would prefer Burnett (Tommy John) versus Sheets (elbow/potential Tommy John).
On Lowe - JUST SAY NO! 36 yr old who looks better than he actually is. He will get smacked in the AL East. Hope Bosox take him back.
Rotation should be -
CC
Wang
Burnett
Pettite
Joba
Hughes, Aceves, Kennedy should all be in the starting rotation in Scranton. And Yanks should bring up Melancon and let him be the righty set-up guy.
Mike -
I'm honestly not expecting much from Aceves - I hope to be proven wrong - but when I hear about a guy like Aceves who came out of the Mexican League I'm always skeptical. There are too many good baseball people scouting in Latin America to allow a kid to pitch in Mexico until he's 25 if he has anything to offer.
Both Sheets and Burnett are injury risks - the differences - as I see them - are that Burnett has proven he can pitch in the AL East and Sheets will cost less in terms of money and years.
I like the idea of the Yanks as the 3rd wheel. Their farm system is pretty heavy on starting pitchers, relievers and catchers. And not much else. Facilitating this deal could help diversify the Yankee farm system at a few more positions, and with Jeter, Damon and Matsui getting older that can't happen soon enough.
(Padres GM)Towers could use a catcher and some starting/relief pitchers. We certainly could match up in this deal.
How about this for a third wheel deal...
Dodgers get Peavy from Padres and Cano & Swisher from Yankees
Yankees get Matt Kemp from Dodgers and Adrian Gonzalez from Pads
Padres get James Loney, Saito, and prospects from Dodgers, and Melky Cabrera (or Austin Jackson), Ian Kennedy, and prospects from Yankees.
The Dodgers are going to lose Derek Lowe, and need a 2B. I'm sure they'd love to have Peavy join Billingsley at the top of the rotation, and Torre is a Cano fan. Torre would also like the flexibility of a switch hitting 1B.
The Yankees would fill their holes at 1B and CF, and would make them younger in the process. Gonzalez is comparable to Tex (except for the giant contract), is younger, and is putting up huge numbers in a pitcher's park. Kemp is 24, has a ton of speed, and is a solid fielder. They should then sign O. Hudson for 2B.
The Padres will be doing what the A's always do...drop the guys they can't sign while reloading with young talent. Loney is a young, solid 1B and Saito could take over the closer role from Hoffman. Throw in a couple pitching prospects from LA & NY.
Thoughts?
good job Joe Pawlikowski.
If what you say is true I can only hope that the Yanks don't sign Burnet. Lets assume the Yanks are getting C.C. and resign Pettite this is what their rotation looks like:
C.C.
Wang
Chamberlain
Pettite
Aceves/Hughes/Kennedy/Wright/Igawa/Brackman