San Diego Padres: The Case for Signing Jake Peavy

Even if Jake Peavy won’t be the ace he was in years past, the San Diego Padres should seriously consider bringing him back in 2017 for a reduced cost.

The San Diego Padres should bring back Jake Peavy, not for his arm (or what’s left of it); they should bring him back for his heart. Peavy would reportedly welcome a return to San Diego, and, after an uninspiring 5 wins and 5.54 ERA for the Giants, the price should be right.

Other than Tony Gwynn, Trevor Hoffman and Randy Jones, there probably is no more popular player with San Diego fans. Peavy’s bulldog mentality, down home Alabama charm and accessibility would bring fans to games.

His presence would also remind us of a better time, a time when the Padres won the division.

The Padres have won the National League West only five times in its entire history, and Peavy pitched for the last two division winners in 2005 and 2006. Called up from Double-A, Peavy made his major league debut against the New York Yankees on June 22, 2002 and allowed just one run.

In 2005 he went 13-7 with a 2.88. The following year he didn’t repeat that level of success, but in 2007 he started the All Star game, won the Triple Crown and earned the Cy Young award with a 19-6 record and 2.54 ERA.

Less than two years later, Kevin Towers, expressing the franchise’s desire to reduce salary and get younger (sound familiar?), traded Peavy at the last moment July 31, 2007 to the Chicago White Sox. Darren Smith managed to catch Peavy on his way out the door in a particularly memorable interview on 1090.

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Since then Peavy has been on two teams that won it all, the Boston Red Sox in 2013 and the San Francisco Giants in 2014. He and Clayton Richard (arguably two of the best human beings in baseball) would be the veterans of a cobbled together pitching staff. To the team as a whole, Peavy would bring the experience of winning it all to a young lineup.

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