Where Will Peavy Be Dealt?

Jake Peavy has been drawing plenty of trade interest from teams like the Athletics, Cardinals, Braves, Red Sox, and Orioles. He's been a very reliable pitcher, going 8-4 with a 4.28 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Peavy's future is very uncertain, but one thing is quite possible. He could be leaving Chicago at any minute. John Heyman of CBS Sports says that the Cardinals, Red Sox, and Athletics could be "co-favorites" in a sense. It was noted that the White Sox were looking at the Red Sox starting pitching and infielder prospects, which could be the asking price for Peavy. But, the Red Sox seem to be more interested in reliever Matt Lindstrom, leaving the door open for other teams on Jake Peavy.

Jake Peavy could get a similar deal to Matt Garza, who was traded for four or five prospects (J. Grimm, C.J. Edwards, M. Olt, and one or two PTBNLs), unless this deal gets way out of hand. As I noted earlier, the White Sox are looking at infielders and starting pitchers. Looking at the top 20 prospects from each of the "contending teams", the White Sox have a lot to be happy about in terms of their possible return from Peavy. 

The Red Sox have plenty of prospects that could be dealt. Deven Marrero, Allen Webster, Henry Owens, Anthony Ranaudo, Matt Barnes, and Xander Bogaerts are all drawing interest from the White Sox. Each of those prospects are on the Red Sox top 20 prospect list, according to MLB.com. The A's and Cardinals each have great farm systems as well as the Red Sox. But, I believe the Cardinals have the best prospects in terms of starting pitching. That is something that they could really use as "bait" in acquiring Jake Peavy. Players such as Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez, and Michael Blazek are close to being in the major leagues full time. 

Is Jake Peavy truly worth what teams could be throwing at him? He's been very injury-prone throughout his career, not pitching a full season four times in his twelve year career. As he continues to get older, the injuries could become much more serious. Depending on the deal the White Sox get for him, he may be a huge part in rebuilding their system. But, if he can show why he was a former Cy Young with his new team, this deal could be pretty evenly matched, especially if he plays a big part in getting his team to the post-season. 

In the end, I believe the Red Sox, even though they are reportedly more interested in Matt Lindstrom, could receive Peavy as well. It seems as if they could make a deal involving both Lindstrom and Peavy, if things really do get out of hand. I just don't believe that Oakland or St. Louis is interested enough in Peavy to part with their top prospects. But, I do believe that the Braves could be a player, especially considering the fact that their ace, Tim Hudson, just received surgery on his ankle. 

At this point, speculation is the best you can do. Peavy will almost certainly be traded, however, due to the type of prospects the White Sox could be receiving in return. They have three days to do the trade, as our countdown to the trade deadline continues.