Peavy, Take 2: Good deal for Sox?

Upon hearing the Peavy trade, I was both incredibly surprised and ambivalent. I was one who was happy that Jake opted out of the “first trade,” but a lot of my feelings at that time had to do with how he felt about being here. Obviously, Jake’s interests have changed and so have mine, especially after hearing some information not available to me at that time. I am warming to this trade.

Did the Sox give up a lot? Sure, but even what was surrendered wasn’t even remotely interesting to Toronto’s JP Ricciardi, a legend in his own mind, who has truly overvalued his prized trading bit in Doc Halladay. No one would be his “huckleberry.” Ah, I’m sorry JP, now you’re either stuck with a 32-year old with just one year left on his contract or you’ll likely surrender him for something less than what the Sox offered you. The Sox can laugh to the bank because they get someone in virtually the same echelon with three years left on his contract with one option year beyond that who’s only 28! Those particular years in an athlete’s career are also, very typically, a baseball player’s finest.

Look, we gave up Clayton Richard who’s turning into a legit 4th or 5th MAYBE. We also gave up a number one in Aaron Poreda with just one developed pitch, a fastball, for now. He MIGHT turn out to be a #2 or possibly a #1 in two (highly unlikely), three (unlikely) or four years. Truth is, Poreda’s just another future hopeful and those guys are more common than we’d like to believe. The other two pitchers are throw-ins.

Yes, Peavy does his best work at a severe pitchers’ park called Petco. I was concerned about that until somebody brought up an excellent point that his Won-Lost record is similar home and away meaning that you really are pitching against that day’s pitcher in a given ballpark. What difference does it make if you win 3-1 or 6-4? If you've pitched better than the other guy in his park, you'll usually win.

Another valid point is Peavy doesn’t pitch to contact like Buehrle. He’s a strikeout pitcher with a greater than 9K/9IP ratio. Theoretically, you could pitch in a little league park if the batter doesn’t hit it into fair territory. The other point made was that his injury was to his ankle, not his arm.

Here's the thing: We get a legit #1 finally! I love Mark Buehrle. I’m sure most of us do. Nevertheless, only after he pitched a perfect game did I ever even entertain the notion that Mark’s a legit #1. I eventually came down to earth to realize that Mark’s no better than a quality #2 pitcher no matter how much I love him. The Sox finally have a rotation that one can comfortably think about when you consider a championship rotation. I’m not saying it’s the best! I’m just saying that it can now compete with the best.

We are better today. We gave up neither Danks nor Floyd. We also didn’t give away any of our other touted, future position players. Beckham was untouched. We may not win this year, but there are at least three more years in which we’ll have one heckuva rotation.

Finally, no baseball GM has bigger spheres than Kenny Williams.

I love this trade.
This is what Kenny Williams does. He did not let the first failed attempt to land Peavy lead to the chance of him pitching in a Sox uniform rot on the vine.
He stuck with it till he got his man.

A lot of G.M.s talk and talk about improving, about not standing pat and about doing whatever it takes to win it this year and years down the road but Williams actually means it.
Not only is he the best G.M. in Chicago but one of the best in professional sports. What could he accomplish if Jerry would loosen up the purse strings?

Thanks Kenny!

The Cubs got the better deal...Ever hear of Grabow? You'll be hearing his name alot in September/October. Where is the topic about the Cubs trade? Poor Peavy. That's his new nick. Really, really wanted to be a Cub. Poor Peavy. Isn't he injured anyway? Poor Peavy. His poor showing
in the early months prevented him from going to a contender. Poor Peavy. Next year? He gone!
Stu responds: Stuck, you're right about Grabow being a smart pickup for the bullpen. And I've always liked Gorzelanny, it will be interesting to see how he does in his start Tuesday. Hard to believe Pittsburgh would trade him away if he had much left, but then, the Pirates always have served as a Cubs farm team, supplying Jim Hendry with whatever he needs.

Good trade...for next year

I really don't get it

From a future newspaper article:

"In an effort to fortify their thin pitching staff, the White Sox called up......called up......wait a minute, they have no more minor league pitchers."

Hey ... Bubba's Mom!

What am I, an orphan?

I'm ready and available. (haven't been arrested yet)

Listen; I can still shoot it out with the best pitchers in the league.

And I can still shoot it up pretty good too.

Put me in Mom, I'm ready to play!

Richards was about to go to the bullpen, the other three were in the minors. I LOVE the trade. One thing I keep seeing over and over is starters are just that and have all ready proven themselves in the majors. Prospects are possibilities and we have traded alot of them away in the pass years. We have four quality starters and that is everything and now two number ones. Can we keep it together for the next four weeks with the 5th starter position? One down five to go.

Questions:

1. Does anyone think Buehrle's perfection had anything to do with Peavy's change of heart?

2. Why did I say I missed Stuck?

Stu, they didn't give us Mclouth, Sanchez,Wilson....among others...Hendry needed them all....hmm....we got sloppy seconds?
Yes we may just have. I don't know about this Gorzelanny, don't
you think Hart is ready now? Then again...look what we got for
Gallagher.

To Cubs fans: Of course, we would predict that you would react negatively even to the point of making foolish comparisons. It's "humans in Chicago" nature. Also, see if you don't see some of yourself in my following statements--

To Sox fans who don't like the trade: All of Chicago really needs to extract itself from the "old fashioned" baseball practices which includes "wait 'til next year" philosophies. Giving up allegedly promising youth is an important part of that. Chicago sports entrepreneurs are typically conservative. They continue to be conservative in large part because its primary fan base buys into their conservative approaches. They sell "future" because we've bought into "futures." See particularly the last deplorable decade of the Chicago Bulls or, to varying degrees, the past 101 years of the Chicago Cubs. "Wait 'til next year!"

The future is NOW!

I'm listening to Peavy's press conference right now......

I like him. A little bit of 'good ol boy' mixed in with passion for the game, and excitement about coming to the greatest sports city in the world. Works for me. I am still concerned about how Kenny thinned out the minors to get this guy, but we'll have to wait and see.

I think it's hilarious that amid all the jockeying and trades this week, the Blue Jays' GM still has his big dog.

Roger, honey, go home.

You can't help but love another proven arm in your line-up. The thing that bothers me is he may not be ABLE until it's too late. "We'll need him in September". What!!! We need a quality pitcher now!

I'm praying this works out, I really am. I'd love to see this pitching staff and young infield gel at the same time. Maybe they'll all rub off on the pen and it'll be 'all systems go'.

Actually, I'm just enjoying the Bronx Bombers taking a Windy City whoopin'.

Infield, or no infield, these kids are hittin'. Beckham is 4 real!

C U all in October; even the Cub fans! It's Chicago baseball, not northside or southside baseball. Hey, let's leave The Big Apple and Tinsel Town in the wake this year. The Daily Double. The Chicago Series. The Windy City Showdown. The Red Line Classic. The 'You go north, I'll go south Disagreement, The Run For The State St. Parade, The Clash of The Chi-tans.

I'm feelin' the fever; and why not!!!

The Sox are putting some major whoop-@$$ on the "best team money could buy." Funny game, isn't it? The Yankees were playing the best in baseball since early May, were on a roll, and have now hit a roadblock. Moreover, Minnesota is 0-7 against the Twins.

Oops! That last sentence I'd posted should read "Minnesota is 0-7 against New York."

Well, It's a move so I suppose that is good they finally did something to try and help their team. Although not sure this was the best deal that was out there. Why trade for a guy that is injured at the last possible minute? Doesn't make any sense, looks sort of desperate to me. I just hope Peavy stays healthy, I mean after he gets off the dl, and his arm not his leg. His velocity has fallen off some so may be some elbow trouble, not sure if will bother him pitching in the Cell though.

I heard Buehrle said he was puzzled by the signing. Guess he ain't perfect after all. Kenny just went out and added a new number one pitcher that makes more than Buerhle, not much of a reward for performance, especially when Peavy will be earning his money playing long toss.

Gig - that post is spot on.

Phil - Somebody please ask Kenny if he would like to run the Bulls! One owner for the Sox and Bulls - one GM??? One major signing by the Bulls and they could have went to the finals with that same team! I know its hard to believe, but the Bulls pushed Boston and Boston Pushed Orlando. Wasn't that much of a difference.

Kenny gave up an awful lot - for a shot at the title! Sink or swim you have to LOVE that! The name of the game is win TODAY, not next year. And then when next year gets here - win that one too! Wait for what??? If you don't win, make them pry it from your dead cold hands like the Sox did last year. That's what the Hawks did also. Bulls fought valiantly, but they went into the battle without enough real soldiers and got put down.

Anthony - NOW the Sox chances are as good as the Cubs. I have maintained from the beginning that both the Cubs and the Sox would take the Central. Cubs have nothing but studs. Sox have experience and NOW just enough horses to drive the chariot. You are also right about needing somebody for NOW because August just gets worse and worse. Our schedule is murderous. I think this trade has given us a booster shot in the arm! And not a second too soon! I cannot remember who made the point about Buerhle but I agree with them, I always thought of him as a #2 or 3. He is not lights out like Santana used to be with the Twins. Truth be told, I don't know much about Peavy - but if he is as good as advertised, the Sox have just gotten their man and they are on their way.

Kenny is AWESOME!

There is a reason that you are stuck in Wisconsin.
Anyway...

I could not agree more with what Gig stated.
"Wait 'til next year" may work for some fans but that does not cut it for White Sox fans.
While you are perpetually waiting for next year (while paying premium prices now) teams like the Marlins have not one but two rings to show for it.
When "wait 'til next year" becomes your rally cry and team motto then you are being played for a fool.

Jake Peavy is 28 years old and this trade is far from selling the farm for an old up pitcher that has one or two months left in the tank.
This is not a desperation move by any means although you do see teams do that kind of stuff.
You know.... like when the Cubs picked up Greg Maddux not once but twice.

Jake Peavy is with the White Sox right now…. not "wait 'til next year".
His contract runs through 2013 so not only is "next year" taken care of but the next 4 years are set for having a Cy Young caliber pitcher in the rotation.

And he doesn’t even break Gatorade machines or throw punches at his teammates when things don’t go his way.

De luca counts the whitesox as winners for trading for a pitcher on the disabled list. Sox fans are happy just to have made a trade at all instead of just spending on a hockey team in a warm weather state.

Peavy was a cy young pitcher years ago, hasn't been healthy since though and elbow and leg problems aren't easy to recover from. It's possible his arm and ankle won't bother him again and he will regain his form of years ago, but every other team in the league didn't think so and gave the guy a pass.

Of course for the whitesox just spending money on a player is progress so have to be happy for them to have something to watch, even if the guy just told him he didn't want to play there. Even if it nothing more than a pain free practice session by Peavy. Yeah, there is a win for you sox fans. He can throw off a mound! Pain free! Hooray. Why don't you give him a raise?

And of course none of this mixture of desperation and dumbness is likely to bother the former ace pitcher buehrle is it? He won't slip back into whitesox mediocrity will he? Or will he?

""wait'll next year will be the cry when the Yanks and the Dodgers pass us by...""

that was a Cubs/Sox Unity Chant

good trade, though

Howard says "It's possible [Peavy's] arm and ankle won't bother him again and he will regain his form of years ago, but every other team in the league didn't think so and gave the guy a pass."

Howard, Jake Peavy wasn't even on the market! That's what made this trade so special. Kenny Williams went after a guy who wasn't even on the market. You cite the word "dumbness" later in your post. Ah, you'd better be careful when you sling such words on this blog and your argument isn't virtually airtight. Get the facts and try, please, try to stray from arguments that are devoid of factual rationalism and seemingly replete with the kind of insipid jealousy that befits a fan from another team.

Howard the Duck!!! And there are just so many ways I can run with that moniker.

"Peaved" about our aquisition?
"Perfection" got you all worked up?
"Postseason" promise on the Southside?
"President" right again???
"Parade" going to roll right past your home???

Maybe we should listen to what you have to say about "PAIN". You guys have cornered the market on that subject.

Without a doubt, Peavy could put the Sox over the top, and get them into the playoffs .... if he could get into the rotation today.

My biggest fear is that by the time he's ready to pitch, and gets his sea legs back under him, they'll have too many other teams to catch up with, and be a few too may games behind for him to have any impact.

As far as the Cubs are concerned ... I'm not the least bit concerned at all. I began "waiting 'till next tear" in April.

That's how you beat the rush.

I remember a couple of months ago when most of you guys were saying that Peavy was "too scared" to pitch in the American League and I kept saying that pitchers of Peavy's caliber are never "afraid" to pitch in whichever league. Seasoned veteran all-stars have faced all the best hitters in the Major Leagues at least more than once in their career. Players switch leagues all the time now; InterLeague play ever year and Spring Training all reasons why no one is ever surprised or "scared" like that anymore. That type of reasoning is the least contributing factor when it comes to waiving a no-trade clause. It was all business. Peavy already got his big contract, but he wanted the big city market exposure (the Sox are not the Cubs obviously, but it's still Chicago) and the legit contending team. Kenny took a big risk here, especially with Peavy's current injury status, but when healthy, he's still a young player with already Cy Young credentials. Imagine if Peavy wasn't hurt and was having another solid season with K's and ERA again, Kenny probably would have had to give up even more than those 4 prospects. This is a good risk and something that I WISH could translate to Reinsdorf's basketball team in the West side of downtown Chicago, because of well, the salary cap of course. Big props to Kenny Williams, arguably the best sports GM in Chi-Town.

Howard, Jake Peavy wasn't even on the market! That's what made this trade so special. Kenny Williams went after a guy who wasn't even on the market. You cite the word "dumbness" later in your post. Ah, you'd better be careful when you sling such words on this blog and your argument isn't virtually airtight. Get the facts and try, please, try to stray from arguments that are devoid of factual rationalism and seemingly replete with the kind of insipid jealousy that befits a fan from another team

Ah, now we can see why Sox fans consider themselves so knowledgable, they only listen to each other. This blog is a good place for these kinds of "discussions". Reality can be found elsewhere. No wonder the few who still bother to post here are still at it, they don't have to bother reading anything truthful. And that is a fact.

Stu seems to find comfort in Prior's decline, and maybe since he was also a padre plagued by injuries there is some similarity to Peavy as he suggests. But, for a slider pitcher who throws across his body, pitching in a homerun ballpark, might want to look more to what happened to kerry Wood to see what the future may hold. Kenny williams just made a deal no one else in baseball was willing to make, and for good reason. If you call that being off the market, then you might want to check on the Padres glee with dumping Peavy and his contract.

Let's put it this way for you, what's the over and under on the amount of dl time for Peavy over his 55 million 3 year deal?

And guess what, the over is already winning.

Anyone else notice the set of Jowls on that Peavy dude? Do you think he came by those naturally or are they chemically enhanced?

Edgar - you were right about Peavy not being scared. But he still might have been scared. He just finally let the REALITY sink in. He didn't realize what time it was for him. And he is probably like the millions of fans and players hypnotized by the media concoction that is Wrigley and thought at the time "if I am going to Chicago - it will be the Cubs". But TIME and RESEARCH and then common sense prevailed. And I'd bet you - there are a bunch of Cubs players who would LOVE to come to the Southside. And we all know big Z would move in a heartbeat. Kenny Williams - knew the numbers and the FUTURE for Peavy all along. Kenny waited until Peavy and his agent were able to see it. And then Barack Obama wore that jacket. And then Mark Buerhle through that perfect game and a half. And Kenny turned the river card over and made the call to SanDiego and the rest is history.

Edgar - IMHO - there is no question who the best GM in Chicago is. There is noone who does more with less. Everyone other GM is negotiating as the ONLY team in town, or the most famous team in town. And he doesn't just throw a bag of money at a situation. All I know is this - in heavy negotiations, there is only one guy I trust to make it happen. And if it doesn't happen, I KNOW it wasn't because Kenny didn't do everything possible. Imagine if Kenny was GM of any other franchise in Chicago - especially the Bulls. You think he would be talking to Carlos Boozer?? I have no doubt in my mind that Kenny would be talking to LABRON.

Time, research and common sense, Keith? hahaha... man, sometimes you really have that flair for the dramatics, don't you? The bottom line is that the Cubs can't or couldn't make the BIG moves this season because of that pending sale. As for Kenny, I doubt he'd be talking to Boozer either, but he wouldn't be able to give Reinsdorf the same speech about going for it all now and dangling just prospects on trades with no salary cap rules and no matching salary trade regulations in baseball. However, he'd be a heckuva lot better than GarPax by a mile. Sure, Kenny would be talking to LeBron, but Kenny ain't Jay-Z at NJ or Spike Lee at NY. He still wouldn't stand a chance with recruiting LeBron here.

Edgar - the lone fact remains - Peavy didn't have to sign. And something had to change his mind??? A wise man once told me "never make a hasty decision on a serious matter that could have life-changing consequences".

I am in fantasy land, and in that world - Kenny is GM of both the Sox and Bulls. And Jerry is fond of him because of the WS trophy and gives Kenny some room to operate. And Kenny takes that room and makes it happen. I know its Jerry Reinsdorf. I know. Edgar all I can do is dream. Everytime I think of the Bulls I close my eyes and shake my head. I am completely disheartened. This kind of talk is all I have. After October I have to learn Hockey.

Hell... I wish the Bulls had a G.M. like Kenny Williams.
The Bears too for that matter.