More on the possible trade for Peavy

Thanks to my friend Geoff for these links. Both the Journal-Sentinel and the LA Times had info on Peavy and Milwaukee.

Tom H. had this to say:

Peavy deal not impossible
Brewers could make a move

Posted: May. 23, 2009

Though San Diego ace Jake Peavy exercised his no-trade rights to veto a deal to the Chicago White Sox, you have to figure the cost-cutting Padres will continue to seek a trade.

Don't be surprised if the Milwaukee Brewers jump in at some point.

It was obvious by what the Sox put on the table that the Padres are looking for good, young pitchers in any deal for Peavy. Clayton Richard and Aaron Poreda, the top young pitchers in Chicago's system, were in the four-player package offered to San Diego.

That would seem to count out the Brewers, who have no pitching prospects to trade at the top of their farm system.

But, as suitors fall by the wayside because of Peavy's no-trade rights, the cost eventually could come down. Peavy backed the Padres farther into a corner by vetoing the White Sox trade and making it clear he prefers to stay in the National League.

That's where the Brewers might make their second bold move in two seasons. Peavy certainly would bend their finances, with an $11 million salary in 2009 and $52 million remaining on his deal over the next three years (including a buyout for 2013).

But owner Mark Attanasio makes his living in the financial world and knows how to be creative. Some payroll space will be created when Jeff Suppan's $12.5 million salary comes off the books after next season.

Despite his high salary, Peavy is more attractive in a trade because he'll be around at least three more years. Last season, the Brewers knew when they acquired CC Sabathia from Cleveland they'd probably lose him to free agency afterward.

Whether the Brewers could come up with the players it would take to do such a deal is debatable. General manager Doug Melvin has said he has no inclination to trade his top two prospects, third baseman Mat Gamel and shortstop Alcides Escobar.

But keep in mind this regime has shown it will think out of the box. The Brewers did so when they traded top prospect Matt LaPorta and others for Sabathia, shocking the rest of the baseball world.

This is a team that fired manager Ned Yost with 12 games to go last season over fears he was making the team too tight and a team that offered Sabathia $100 million to stay before the Yankees blew that offer out of the water.

After watching the bench struggle for more than a month this season, a series of moves was made, signing veteran Frank Catalanotto to a minor-league deal, summoning Gamel to the majors and trading for San Diego outfielder Jody Gerut. More proactive moves from a proactive regime.

Rest assured that internal discussions about Peavy already have been held in the Brewers' offices. You can bet closer Trevor Hoffman has told his former teammate about the close-knit clubhouse. Word has it that Ryan Braun and Peavy even exchange e-mails.

So, should the increasingly desperate Padres decide at some point they can part with Peavy without getting top-notch pitching prospects in exchange, don't be shocked if the Brewers make their presence known. Attanasio, Melvin and their staffs are big thinkers in a small market.

When you operate like that, big things are possible.
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And from the LA Times:

BASEBALL / DOWN THE LINE

Milwaukee would seem to suit Jake Peavy

After their failed bid to keep Sabathia, the Brewers seem to make the most sense in a trade for the Padres' ace.

May 24, 2009

Peavy brewing for Milwaukee?

The Milwaukee Brewers energizing their team and their fans by trading for a stud pitcher? They did it with CC Sabathia last year, and they could do it with Jake Peavy this year.

We're told the Brewers are exploring whether to bid for Peavy, and they could emerge as the most realistic trade partner for the San Diego Padres.

After the Padres gave Peavy a no-trade clause, they asked him for a list of teams to which he might prefer to be traded. He shrugged and offered the Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals.

The Padres whiffed in winter talks with the Braves and Cubs; a prolonged franchise sale could hinder another Cubs bid. The Astros and Cardinals would be reluctant to guarantee $70 million, which would keep Peavy under contract through 2013. The Padres would rather stop selling fish tacos than trade Peavy to the Dodgers.

Peavy vetoed a deal with the Chicago White Sox last Thursday, and his agent reminded everyone the pitcher wants to stay in the National League. Peavy could pitch for a contender in Milwaukee, with Trevor Hoffman saving his victories once again.

The Brewers offered Sabathia $100 million last winter, so they could tap that special reserve for Peavy. They signed a fat new cable deal last month. And, with attendance down in most markets amid the recession, the Brewers' attendance is up, way up, by an average of 2,000 people per game.