Jake Peavy Puts Yankees, Angels on the Table

When the Padres kicked off the Jake Peavy sweepstakes last month, they knew his no-trade clause would make things more difficult than your standard salary dump. He was only interested in going to a handful of teams, and all of them were in the NL.

And then, after the Padres kicked off talks with the Cubs and Braves, Peavy threw another wrench into the mix, saying he'd block a trade to teams on his original list if he felt they were gutting their roster to acquire him. (In other words, sure, he'd like to play for the Braves ... but not if Yunel Escobar isn't there.)

With so many hoops to jump through, it's not a surprise the Padres have talked for a month without getting a deal done. From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

"We've had advanced discussions with the Cubs and Braves, which are Jake's priority teams," General Manager Kevin Towers said last night, "but at this point in time, I do not see a potential deal with either club."

Towers admitted to having discussions with the Dodgers, but it doesn't take a front office mole to figure out that his preference is probably to avoid handing him over to a division rival where he can haunt his former team several times a year for the length of his contract. So what are his options?

Peavy is the one with all the leverage, but since playing for a contender is a priority, he made a concession of his own, removing his strict NL-only mandate by putting the Angels and Yankees on the table. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure either team has the goods the Padres are looking for in return.

The Yankees were reluctant to give up prospects like Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy to acquire Johan Santana last winter, and even if they put those same guys, their trade value has diminished greatly in the last 12 months. As for the Angels, they'll have a strong pitching staff with or without Peavy and may not be willing to cough up top-level hitting prospects when their lineup is in desperate need of some punch, as well.

Even so, the mere fact they're officially in the discussion should help Towers. Before, the Braves knew they were only competing against the Cubs; now they're competing against two more teams with some of the deepest pockets in the game. Is that enough for them to loosen their grip on stud pitching prospect Tommy Hanson instead of a big-league ready talent like Escobar? That's what Towers will try to find out.