Jake Peavy is the most sought out pitcher on the trade market. The Oakland Athletics, who value pitching, have Peavy high on their list of acquisitions this deadline. What can Peavy bring to Oakland and how can he help them win?
It's more than just winning for the A's as this trade deadline approaches. Peavy is more than just an amazing locker room presence. As the Athletics' ace, Bartolo Colon faces a possible suspension, Peavy means insurance. Ryan Bruan already went down and he is one of baseball's true stars. Colon is past his prime, but he means plenty to the Athletics.
Colon is second in baseball with 14 wins, eighth in baseball with a 2.54 ERA and 12th with 141.2 innings pitched. It's clear he is the battery of the A's pitching rotation and it might become a little harder for them to keep the lead in the A.L. West if (or when) he is suspended. Oakland's rotation is young and they rank fourth in baseball with 45 wins. Colon, A.J. Griffin, Tommy Milone and Jarrod Parker have all made 21 starts in 2013. Dan Straily is the only other healthy starter who hasn't made 21 starts in the season. The A's pitching rotation is consistent and their ability to take the ball every other five day has created a closely knit starting rotation.
With no Colon, things could change, but that's where Peavy comes in to play. Buster Olney and Joel Sherman believe Peavy is a sure bet for the A's. He possibly made his last start on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers and Sherman believes since the A's lost out to Matt Garza, they will pursue Peavy adamantly.
In yesterday's ESPN Sunday Night ball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, Olney says sources gave him the vibe that the A's are the front runners in the Peavy race. He explained how Peavy could inject life into the A's starting rotation, avoiding skipping any beat as Colon's suspension seems inevitable. Plus, let's not forget, Peavy began his career in the west as a member of the San Diego Padres. It almost makes too much sense.
Peavy's numbers may not be similar to Colon's, but he's ben effective. Peavy is 8-4 with a 4.28 ERA. He's pitched 80 innings, recording 76 strikeouts. Also, important to look at his 1.14 WHIP, which proves he's effective, but simply having bad luck as runners reaching base are scoring at a high frequency.
