Trade Candidate: Jake Peavy

Jake Peavy – Starting Pitcher

With Jake Peavy set to come off of the disabled list on Saturday, now would be the perfect time to take a look at his trade value. For Peavy, the main component of his success is health related. When he is healthy, Peavy is a top of the rotation starter and one of the better pitchers in baseball. Unfortunately for Jake, he has battled through a variety of injuries over the past several seasons that has hampered his production. This season has been no different as Peavy suffered a broken rib that has left him sidelined since June 4th. Now that the White Sox are sellers, Peavy will likely have two starts to showcase his talents before the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline.

Therein lies the problem. Exactly how many teams are going to be interested in Peavy given his health concerns? It should be noted a broken rib is less worrisome than an elbow or shoulder injury, but the risks are still there. If Peavy can pitch effectively and stay healthy in these next two starts, then I would imagine at least a few contending teams would be interested in acquiring the veteran right-hander. Considering that Peavy is under contract through 2014 ($14.5 million next season), the Sox might be able to come away with a decent package of prospects if they decide to move him before the deadline. Like Alex Rios, the White Sox do not have to trade Peavy this season since he is under contract. If there is not a good enough offer on the table, then the Sox could easily decide to hold onto Peavy. By doing so, the Sox could then either move Peavy during the offseason or even before next year’s trade deadline. Furthermore, at $14.5 million, the Sox may also feel that they are better off trying to contend next season with Peavy as a member of the starting rotation. With the possibility of Chris Sale, John Danks, Jose Quintana, and Hector Santiago all coming back, the Sox would have a very solid pitching staff if it included Peavy. If that is the case, then the Sox could conceivably be in a position to contend provided the offense gets revamped between now and next season.

Either way, the White Sox still have a valuable commodity in Jake Peavy, and it will be interesting to see what general manager Rick Hahn decides to with him.

-Eric Tichelbaut

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