Jake Peavy almost went the John Lackey route.
The Boston Red Sox traded Peavy to the San Francisco Giants in the days leading up to this year’s Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline. The 33-year-old thought the Red Sox might trade him to the St. Louis Cardinals, though, which certainly adds a little extra intrigue to the National League Championship Series.
“I thought it was really close, to be honest with you,” Peavy told reporters Saturday. “About a week or so before the actual deal happened, I thought I could possibly come here (to St. Louis).”
The Red Sox dealt Peavy to the Giants in exchange for pitching prospects Heath Hembree and Edwin Escobar. It’s unclear what the Cardinals were willing to relinquish, but St. Louis certainly was tossed around as a potential trade partner. The Red Sox ended up trading Lackey to the Cardinals in exchange for pitcher Joe Kelly and outfielder/first baseman Allen Craig.
“When anybody thinks they might have a chance to play in St. Louis, or that name gets mentioned, you get excited because, once again, you associate St. Louis with winning,” Peavy said. “That’s what we all want to do, especially late on our career.”
Peavy struggled to begin the season, posting a 1-9 record and 4.72 ERA in 20 starts with Boston. The right-hander enjoyed a renaissance with San Francisco, going 6-4 with a 2.17 ERA in 12 regular-season starts. Peavy helped mitigate the loss of Matt Cain, which at the time was seen as a crushing blow.
Peavy’s arrival in San Francisco marked a reunion. The 13-year veteran now plays for Bruce Bochy, who managed the San Diego Padres for much of Peavy’s successful run to begin his career. It’s a bond that’s as strong as ever.
“I’m with people now who believe in me in a special way,” Peavy said. “Boch, he believes in me like my high school coach believed in me, if that makes sense. That’s not saying that people in Boston didn’t believe in me. But it was a different feeling when I would take the mound there. I forgot what that feeling was like.
“These guys really needed somebody to help out when I got over here. Boch and these guys believed I could be that guy. When you’re shown that faith in you, you want to exhaust every options. So that really fuels your fire.”
Peavy allowed two runs on four hits over four innings Sunday against the Cardinals in Game 2 of the NLCS. If the Giants dispatch the Cardinals en route to a World Series title, you can bet St. Louis will regret not making a stronger push to acquire Peavy from the Red Sox earlier this season.
Photo via Brad Mills/USA TODAY Sports Images
