Peavy to Philly? Wishful thinking.

Posted by Coley Ward on Monday June 01st 2009, 11:08 am - filed in News reel

Philadelphia Inquirer’s Don McKee thinks the Phils need to go all in for Jake Peavy.

Forget the talk that he doesn’t want to come here. Overwhelm the Padres with prospects and make a tentative deal.

Then ask Peavy whether he really doesn’t want to pitch for a contender he will make even stronger, in a packed modern ballpark with a party atmosphere every night and player amenities to die for?

Then see what he says.

The Phils could definitely overwhelm the Pads with a large quantity of prospects, but it’s hard to imagine San Diego being bowled over by the quality of the Phils’ top minor leaguers. Carlos Carrasco? He’s got a future as a major league pitcher, for sure, and his 58 strikeouts in 55 innings is impressive. But his 5.40 ERA is not. Jason Donald has a .299 OBP in triple-A this season. Lou Marson is hitting .230 and there are questions about his readiness to handle a pitching staff.

Ask Peavy if he wants to play in a modern ballpark? How about instead we ask him if he’d like to move from the most pitcher-friendly park in the major leagues to a bandbox where his numbers woud surely take a hit, as would his value the next time free agency rolls around?

How about we ask him if he wants to move as far away from his San Diego home as possible? If he’ like to leave the most forgiving fans in America for the most demanding fans?

Sure, it’s possible Peavy will OK a trade to Philly. But I wouldn’t hold my breath. And I certainly wouldn’t call it a “perfect fit,” as McKee does.