XX Sports Radio: Barry Axlerod Interview

• Jake Peavy did not go to the Padres and ask for a trade.  The trade was proposed by the Padres.  He was told by KT that it would be good for the club financially and Jake said there would be some circumstances where he would be willing to leave.
  
• No matter what happens in his career San Diego is going to remain Jake Peavy's home.
• It can be assumed that it hurt Jake Peavy's feelings when he was being told that the Padres wanted to shop Peavy around.
• The Padres are making it known that they would be interested in making a deal if the terms are right.  They are not just sitting around doing nothing.  It is more active than just fielding phone calls.
• Was Peavy surprised by this?  You're never really surprised because they are making a business decision.
• In the next few years Peavy's contract will become a large part of the payroll especially if the payroll continues to decrease.
  
• It's only a possibility until it really happens.  It would appear this trade will entail more than one guy.  It becomes more probable as teams become more aggressive to get it done.
• No discussion has taken place about the new club being forced to pick up Peavy's option.
• Peavy and Axelrod talked about the teams where he would be willing to go in generalities.  They won't go much beyond that until specifics arise.
  
•  It would take something pretty enticing to get Peavy to switch to the American League.
• Axelrod represents Phil Nevin, Wally Joyner and Peavy.  There is not a bad taste in Axelrod's mouth about the way his clients have been treated by the Padres.  The Padres are always communicative.  He doesn't always agree with their actions, but it is business.
• Money is the reason why the Padres proposed this trade.  In the next few years Peavy will be eating up a large portion of the team payroll.
• If the Padres are looking for more than a quick fix than it wouldn't make sense for the Padres to keep him around and while he commands such a large salary.
• The Padres have an M.O. of signing contracts with large backends (think Kim Kardashian), then they trade them before those amounts  become due.
• It's possible that the Padres may not like how vocal Peavy has been about his frustrations with the club and the direction it is going.  "There are a lot of people that like Jake's outspokenness and there are a few that do not care for it so much."  You'd have to ask Sandy, KT or Moores if Jake's malcontent is a reason for this trade.
• Jake did not approach the Padres and tell them about his discontent.  The idea came from the Padres to Jake.  "If that's what you think is going to make the team better, if that's the direction you are going, if you think you will be in a 3-5 year rebuilding plan, then I will consider anything that you think will help the club."

XX Sports Radio: Kevin Towers Interview (MP3)

• Clubs have inquired about Jake, that doesn't mean anything is imminent.  The Padres are listening.  If it improves the present and future of the club they are going to look at it.  It is going to be difficult to move him but the Padres are definitely open minded to what kind of deals that present themselves then they will decide to pull the trigger or not.
• The number of players in return for Peavy would depend if they are prospects or proven big leaguers.  The Padres would need at least one proven impact player and a pretty healthy prospect package beyond that.
• Kevin Towers is focusing on about 6 clubs that the Padres match up with.  Three are more promising than the others.  It's going to have to be a deal they really like to move him.
• The relationship with Peavy is still really good and they could still work together in 2009.  They know winning now is very important to Jake.  If the deal presents itself that would benefit the Padres and Peavy he'd be okay with it.  He has soured because of the way the Padres performed this past season.  He's unsure of what the ball club will look like going forward.  Peavy gave them the list of teams and told them "see what you can do with it".
• The Padres are going to explore the trade market more so than the free agent market.
• The Padres like the young positional players and the key is adding as much pitching depth as they can.  Any potential Peavy deal would be focused on pitching, pitching, pitching.
• The Padres need to get better at situational hitting.  "Although it would be nice to score more runs we have to get back to what we do well which is pitching and catching the ball."  Load up on pitching is what they are trying to do.
  
• Towers has talked to Khalil Greene a couple times since the grievance was filed.  Khalil is still rehabbing.  "Khalil is an introvert, not a man of many words." KT doesn't think the relationship has been tarnished by any means.
• The Padres will have the coaching staff in place by the end of the month.
• An offer was presented to Hoffman last week and they haven't heard back from him.  
• The Giles deal is more cut and dry, they either pick up the option or not.
• The next statue we will see in the Park in the Park will be Number 51 Trevor Hoffman

Organization feeling out trade offers for Padres staff ace Peavy

Axelrod made one concrete stipulation to any trade scenarios: “Jake would only approve a trade to a team with a solid chance of winning and a winning tradition. Those teams in the National League may be in locations that are more acceptable, or would be.”

Okay, fair enough, lets have a look at his list, or would be.  Why are we saying "or would be" a the end of sentences.  Nevermind... to the list!

He said “the ability or opportunity to win is very important to Jake, and hopefully some sort of coincidence with his and his family's lifestyle.”

Among the cities Axelrod mentioned were Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and St. Louis.

Because of Peavy's intention to keep his family in San Diego for at least part of the year, Axelrod acknowledged that the Anaheim Angels are one AL club that would draw extra consideration.

First things first.  "Chicago" and "Winning Tradition" have not been mentioned together in a newspaper article in 100 years.  Peavy may want to brush up on his baseball history before he rushes into any trades.  Let me catch my breath...

Okay but Chicago looked good this year until the inevitable collapse and they are definitely willing to spend money.  Atlanta is close to his home and birth place, so it's understandable.  Houston?  Well he hunts with Roy Oswalt and the Astros played in the World Series a few years ago.  I guess that's close enough to a winning tradition for Peavy. 

Los Angeles?  Peavy you son of a ----.  How dare you, sir!  Just because you hold an inhuman record in Dodger Stadium doesn't mean you get to face the Dodgers line up every time you pitch there.  Also, you do this and you are dead to me.  I know you carry my opinion in high regard... so there it is out on the table.

St. Louis, yeah I guess they've won the World Series recently and they are a "good baseball town" and "their fans are oh so smart and classy" and "they have trees that grow cotton candy" and "magically when their fans go #2 it tastes like fudgsicles".  We've heard it all before.

Oh but just because the Padres and Peavy are already reserving moving trucks doesn't mean that Peavy doesn't  loooove himself some San Diego.

“My first choice is to be in San Diego, with a team that is going to do everything they can do to be a postseason team and try to win a World Series,” said Peavy, who received full no-trade powers as part of the three-year, $52 million extension signed last December.

“That's first and foremost what I want to happen, and why I signed this contract – because I love San Diego,” he said.

Two can play this game.  I love Jake Peavy when he is winning.