Why The Padres Shouldn't Trade Jake Peavy

Better luck next year, Padres. They can't possibly be as bad.

They have been in playoff contention for years. They can certainly get back there, even if they had the third worst record in the majors.

The Padres were killed with injuries this year. Let's look at the list: Mark Prior, Josh Bard, Khalil Greene, Scott Hairston, Trevor Hoffman, Chris Young, and god pitcher Jake Peavy.

In the NL West, they could have easily been competitive without the injuries. The Padres' downfall was a lack of depth, not a bad team.

So what's with the rumor mill being filled with possible trades of Peavy to the Braves with random combinations of the same four players every day?

At face value, it makes sense. When you're bad, you sell off your good players and rebuild next year. But why would the Padres do it?

The old saying is that you don't trade players. You trade contacts. Jake Peavy is signed to a five-year $81 million deal with a sixth-year option.

The most valuable commodity in baseball is an ace pitcher. The only thing more valuable is an ace pitcher signed below market value.

It is understandable why a team like the Twins would shop Johan Santana or the Indians would trade CC Sabathia. They would have to sign insanely large extensions in order to be retained.

But Jake Peavy is in the control of the Padres for five years at an affordable rate. Even if they don't plan on being competitive next season, they've got four more years of Peavy.

What makes the least sense about trading Peavy is that there's no trade talks on any of his teammates. Why don't they trade Adrian Gonzalez while they're at it? It would be the ultimate sell-high trade as well.

Trading Peavy alone wouldn't accomplish much. Trading everyone else with value would give them a new core of young players, but trading Peavy alone would just make the Padres a bad team again.

What should the Padres do instead?

Well, they definitely need to be prepared for injuries again. The Angels, Red Sox and Rays were killed with injuries as well, but had backups who they felt confident in playing every day. Bench upgrades are necessary.

A closer is needed. When Hoffman was gone, closer-by-committee was a disaster. Hoffman won't re-sign, but a lesser name could get the job done.

A starter should be added for depth. A pitcher like Mark Prior cannot be relied on as the fifth starter.

Every team should go into the year with a six man rotation with a couple somewhat capable pitchers in the minors. They can't go through the year without injuries.

You thought the NL West was bad now? Picture it without Manny Ramirez, Adam Dunn, and Matt Holliday. Next year, the Padres could be division contenders, but not without Peavy.

Why trade him? He'll be there for a while. He is clearly a great fit whether it's in or outside Petco Park.

Kevin Towers, you're usually a smart guy, but think about what you're doing. Peavy will only be 28 next year. He is the ideal pitcher for a rejuvenating team.

Jake Peavy should remain a Padre. It simply doesn't make sense to trade him.