Did the San Francisco Giants make a big mistake in trading for Jake Peavy?
Typically, when teams are in the middle of a division battle, they utilise the non-waiver-trade-deadline to improve their roster, fill any voids and strengthen their post-season push. The San Francisco Giants attempted to do just that when they moved for Jake Peavy of the Boston Red Sox, days before the deadline. The Giants surrendered two top prospects in Heath Hembree and Edwin Escobar in order to take a sizeable step forward to claiming the National League West crown off of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
At the time, the trade seemed an excellent one. With a lack of pitching depth, and Matt Cain contemplating surgery, the Giants were in need of a starter. Spot starter and long reliever Yusmeiro Petit simply isn’t good enough to be a starter every fifth day. With Cain eventually accepting the inevitable, and agreeing to undergo season ending surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow, the Peavy trade was looking more inspired than ever.
With some serious holes in the team – most notably second base and a fourth outfielder – it was vastly assumed that the Giants would continue to be aggressive in the market, and shape a team worthy and capable of beating the Dodgers. However, after not adding anyone else prior to the non-waiver-trade-deadline, the trade started to a look a little, silly – to say the least.
Quintessentially, the Giants traded away two key pieces to the future, without really helping the present. Peavy may be a significant upgrade from Petit, but solely a trade for Peavy simply isn’t enough to improve the team. I really do like Peavy. In his first three starts for the Giants, despite being winless and posting a 4.82 ERA, he has career numbers in other, more important statistics. His 73 ERA+ and his 2.98 FIP are a career low and his third lowest ever, respectively. It may be only three starts, but it’s encouraging.
Like almost all trades, the overall success of this trade can’t truly be evaluated until the end of the season. If the Giants do somehow manage to reach the postseason, the Peavy trade could be the very reason why. If the Giants fail to make the postseason, the trade is up there with the worst trades, period.
If the Giants do indeed fail to play October ball, in essence, they’ve lost two key pieces to the 2015 roster for absolutely nothing. Hembree is long thought to be the future closer of the Giants. With Sergio Romo likely to become a free agent at the end of the season, the general consensus of almost everyone was that Hembree was to fulfil that role. Likewise, with Ryan Vogelsong inevitably going to become a free agent, Edwin Escobar was assumed to fill the void that is likely to be left by the veteran.
So, did the San Francisco Giants make a big mistake trading for Jake Peavy? Tough one. Time will tell. In the meantime, everyone, Giants fans and non-Giants-fans alike, should just be thankful that we don’t have to watch Petit start every fifth day.