DEL.ICIO.USBraves end trade talks for Peavy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, November 14, 2008
After more than a month of negotiations, the Braves have called off their proposed blockbuster deal with the San Diego Padres for 2007 Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy, Braves general manager Frank Wren told the Journal-Constitution on Friday.
The Padres wanted too much for the star pitcher, Wren said. “We reached the point where we made the decision that we just didn’t feel like there was a deal that we could feel comfortable with,” Wren said.
“Jake Peavy is obviously a quality top-of-the-rotation pitcher. But our focus is still to build our organization internally with our young players, and we had to measure at what point we’d lose the ability to have a sustainable winning franchise going forward if we gave up too much talent.”
Wren said he called the Padres on Thursday and gave them a final offer that represented “what we would be willing to do, and if that were not sufficient enough to get a deal done, that we were going to go ahead and move on to other pursuits and other opportunities.”
Wren would not say which players were in the Braves’ final offer. “I think there were a lot of names that were discussed, and we felt like at the end of the day, it was a little more than we were willing to give up, as it would impact the future,” he said.
CBS Sports.com had reported, citing unidentified sources, that the players the Braves offered were shortstop Yunel Escobar, pitchers Blaine Boyer and Charlie Morton, and minor-league outfielder Gorkys Hernandez.
“Some of those out there were accurate, some of them were not,” Wren said.
The Peavy trade could have been completed if the Braves had been amenable to trading top pitching prospect Tommy Hanson, but Wren has refused to part with the big right-hander or with outfielder Jason Heyward.
Peavy, a 27-year-old Alabama native, would have become the ace of the pitching staff for the Braves, the team he used to pull for as a kid growing up outside Mobile.
Timing might have been a consideration, too. Friday was an important day for the Braves because it was the first day teams can make offers to available free agents. The Braves aim to acquire strong starting pitching and a power-hitting outfielder this offseason. And acquiring an elite, No. 1 starting pitcher remains a major piece of Wren’s offseason plan to improve a team that has missed the playoffs the past three years.
Since a run of 14 consecutive division titles, the Braves have missed the postseason three years in a row, in part because of injuries to key pitchers.
The Braves lost starters John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Tim Hudson to arm surgeries last season. Hudson had ligament-transplant elbow surgery and is expected to miss all but perhaps the final month of the 2009 season, making it imperative for Wren to acquire an ace.
Smoltz (shoulder surgery) and Glavine (shoulder, elbow surgeries) are attempting comebacks but haven’t decided if they will pitch again. Smoltz seems more likely to return, though perhaps in a relief role. If he can pitch, the Braves say they want him back.
The Braves were believed to have entered the offseason with at least $40 million available for 2009 additions, and Wren said the team would use all its assets — money and/or tradable players and prospects — to fill key needs through trades or free agency.
Third baseman Chipper Jones said last month how excited he was about the Braves’ intentions to make bold moves and about possible pitching acquisitions, specifically citing Peavy and potential Toronto free agent A.J. Burnett.
The Braves might make offers to free agents Derek Lowe, Ryan Dempster and Burnett, among others. Also, they’re trying to re-sign free agent lefty Mike Hampton.
Staff writer Thomas Stinson contributed to this article.
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