Handicapping the Jake Peavy Trade Market

They always have liked Peavy, but probably would enter the discussions only if they lost right-hander Ryan Dempster as a free agent, which is unlikely. Even then, the Cubs might not match up with the Padres.

—Astros. Roy Oswalt can lobby all he wants for Peavy; his team is not nearly deep enough in prospects to satisfy the Padres.

—Dodgers. When the Rockies were entertaining offers for Holliday last summer, they told the Dodgers that the price for them, as a division rival, would be higher than it was for any other club. The Padres almost certainly would take the same approach with Peavy.

—Cardinals. Another of Peavy's preferred teams that is not a good fit. The Cardinals, facing multiple needs, do not want to invest in all of their available payroll and top prospects in one move.

—Brewers. Their fear would be that Peavy could turn into another Ben Sheets, suffering frequent injuries while earning $48 million from 2010 to '12. A Rickie Weeks-J.J. Hardy offer would snap the Padres to attention—look ma, a new middle infield!—but the Brewers are not going to part with their best young pitchers, righty Yovani Gallardo and lefty Manny Parra.

—Rays. The addition of Peavy would be ideal for a rotation that already includes James Shields, Scott Kazmir, David Price and Andy Sonnanstine. Tampa-St. Pete is relatively close to Alabama, and an Edwin Jackson-Reid Brignac-Jeff Niemann package might entice the Padres. The Rays, however, are wary of taking on significant payroll while parting with top young players.

—Rangers. The Padres surely are intrigued by the Rangers' farm system, but moving from pitcher-friendly Petco Park to hitter-friendly Rangers Ballpark would not be Peavy's idea of fun.

Around the Horn

New Blue Jays president Paul Beeston intends to meet personally with right-hander A.J. Burnett, who could opt out of his contract and become a free agent. The Blue Jays plan to make a creative push to keep Burnett, and Beeston is known for his persuasiveness. However, it is all but certain that Burnett, 31, will test the market. He has two years and $24 million remaining on his current deal...

In a recent item, I started that the Yankees shouldn't be confident of landing right-hander Derek Lowe in free agency, saying that some rival clubs believe that Lowe wants to stay on the west coast. Lowe told me that my information was wrong, that he actually wanted to go East. He backed up that remark by telling the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo that the Red Sox were his first choice...

It would be an upset if Dodgers third base coach Larry Bowa rejoined the Yankees in the same capacity. Bowa is loyal to manager Joe Torre, and the Yankees had a chance to retain him when they hired Joe Girardi as manager last offseason. Instead, they hired Bobby Meacham, Girardi's previous third base coach with the Marlins. The Yankees' recent firing of Meacham created the current opening...

At least one rival executive thinks Bobby Valentine would be an excellent choice as the Mariners' next manager. Valentine excels at turning around struggling franchises, and his experience managing in Japan would give him special insight into Ichiro, catcher Kenji Johjima and any future Japanese players the Ms might want to acquire. Then again, the Mariners are about to hire a first-time G.M., and Valentine's strong personality would be a challenge for an inexperienced executive...

The Cardinals, seeking a closer, prefer a short-term solution rather than a longer free-agent investment than Francisco Rodriguez or even Brian Fuentes; club officials are confident that Chris Perez ultimately will handle the role. Another possibility for the Cardinals: The trade of a younger outfielder in a package for a more accomplished slugger in left or right...

Closer Kevin Gregg remains the Marlin most likely to be traded, and four teams already have inquired about right fielder Jeremy Hermida. The Marlins could open next season with Cameron Maybin in center and Cody Ross in right. They also could trade for a short-term right fielder as they await the arrivals of John Raynor and Scott Cousins, both of whom finished last season at Double-A and currently are playing in the Arizona Fall League.

This article originally published on FOXSports.com.

Read more of Ken's columns here.

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