The Peavy Sweepstakes Vol. 9: Say What? Edition

Kevin Towers, the General Manager in San Diego, has been courting the Braves and Cubs as potential suitors for 2007 Cy Young winner Jake Peavy.

The Braves backed away from the negotiating table a couple weeks back when they apparently decided that super prospect Yuniel Escobar, the shortstop of their future, was too much to give away.

The Chicago Cubs, meanwhile, kept their big free agent starter, Ryan Dempster. Once the ink was dry on that contract, Cubs Manager Lou Piniella boldly told a full press conference that the Cubs no longer needed another starting pitcher.

Towers has continued courting the Braves and Cubs, though there was more smoke and mirrors needed to keep the Cubs feeling like they were in the mix. Towers claimed last week that he had found an unnamed third team to make a deal to Chicago happen. Meanwhile, he also mentioned that the Braves were strong contenders to acquire Peavy.

On Tuesday, the Braves may have called Kevin Towers' bluff.

In a deal that is still being finalized, the Braves agreed to send young starter Jo-Jo Reyes to the Chicago White Sox, along with two other top prospects to be determined, for permanent Ozzie Guillen Doghouse resident Javier Vazquez and allegedly left handed reliever Boone Logan.

In Vazquez the Braves get a pitcher who will eat innings and strike batters out. He'll also fold up like a paper airplane in the clutch. But even while underachieving on Chicago's South Side last year, Vazquez struck out 200. Logan, considered by many in Chicago to be a mental midget, will take his awkward windup to the Braves bullpen, where his ability to eat innings will certainly help.

In Reyes, the Braves are moving one of the pieces that undoubtedly would have played into a deal for Peavy.

The Padres have openly stated that they want multiple young pitchers in exchange for their ace, and Reyes would have certainly filled that role. Depending on who the other two prospects are that are headed to Chicago, the Braves may have moved just enough of their system to now place them in a similar situation to the Cubs—in need of a third team to make a deal happen.

The Braves are also allegedly set on acquiring another starter from the quality crop of free agents this year, with former Blue Jay AJ Burnett at the top of their list. A rotation headlined by Burnett and Vazquez dramatically improves the Braves odds in the ever-impressive NL East.

So where does this move leave Towers?

Rumors have the Cubs ready to move underwhelming centerfield prospect Felix Pie to Baltimore for one of their top pitching prospects, left hander Garret Olson. Olson would then figure prominently into the package the Cubs would send to the Padres for Peavy.

But other rumors say the Cubs would prefer to not part ways with middle infielder Mike Fontenot and their own left hander, Sean Marshall.

And Piniella believes the Cubs don't need Peavy.

Towers may be back to Square Zero. If the Braves are done in the trade market for starters, and the Cubs indeed don't need Peavy, then where does he turn for a partner? Or will Towers begin to lower his asking price for the All Star?

If memory serves, the list Peavy supplied as potential destinations was Chicago, Atlanta, St Louis, Houston and Dodgers. The Dodgers are the longest shot in the group, being that they share a division and highway with the Padres.

St. Louis did not appear to want to meet Towers' asking price in November and backed away from the table fairly quickly. The Astros seemed intrigued, but never seemed to jump into the game.

My prediction is this: The Peavy Sweepstakes will begin to mirror the courting of CC Sabathia. The Angels and Yankees are the front runners for the hefty lefty, but he can only pick one team. The other will then be forced to either chase from the remaining group of starters, including Burnett, Derek Lowe and Ben Sheets.

Or they could put a package together for Peavy.

The Yankees appear to be willing to any and every thing to put a winning product on the field in 2009. If they don't land Sabathia, would that then force the competitive Hank Steinbrenner to sell the farm, or what there is of one, for Peavy?

He has already shown a willingness to give up on prospects his father's regime in Darryl Rasner. Is Phil Hughes expendable now? Who else could go?

The Padres are openly in cost cutting mode, and Peavy is at the top of their list of contracts to unload. The Braves showed a willingness to ignore the hype and do their own thing, and landed a quality starting pitcher for significantly less than they would have spent on Peavy. The Cubs don't appear to be waiting for Towers to say jump either.

Towers might need to begin his month of December by reflecting on his position within Major League Baseball. From a distance it appears he believes he holds the cards and other general managers are pawns he can play against each other. The rest of baseball, however, seems to know the cards he has, and aren't afraid of them.

With the Winter Meetings set to begin next Monday, the intrigue deepens.