Many names have been thrown around throughout the course of our Obsessive Peavywatch coverage: Garrett Olson, Ronny Cedeno, Josh Vitters, Dr. Spock.
One that we haven’t heard in several months is Jeff Samardzija. The young pitcher/wide receiver was one of the brightest spots in the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen late last year. At times, Samardzija looked nearly unhittable.
So it wasn’t a surprise that, when round one of Peavywatch began back in November, Jeff Samardzija’s name was one of the first to come up.
The hitch, of course, was the major league contract the Cubs gave Samardzija to entice him to sign instead of pursuing any dreams of NFL glory. That contract included a no-trade clause, which the common wisdom says Samardzija is likely to exercise.
At the time, most thought that was no big deal. Others can be substituted. But is Jeff Samardzija a deal-breaker in the Cubs’ efforts to trade for Jake Peavy? Read about it after the jump.
The Orioles and Phillies no longer need to be part of what had been discussed as a four-team deal that had too many moving parts to be consummated at the winter meetings. It’s true that the Padres have retrenched, but if Hendry would say the magic word, “Samardzija,” Peavy could be Chicago-bound, and the despair that reached 101 years and counting would give way to euphoria, at least until October.
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Alas, Hendry can’t trade promising right-hander Jeff Samardzija because the former Notre Dame All-American receiver has a no-trade clause that he’s unlikely to waive. So that probably means no Peavy. Yahoo! Sports.
Those are pretty stark terms: without including Jeff Samardzija, the Cubs can’t acquire Jake Peavy. I don’t necessarily expect that Steve Hensen of Yahoo has any greater insight into the dealings of the Cubs than any of the local media, but it is interesting how confidently he makes this assertion.
Either he knows something no one else does (doubtful), or he’s simply folding the Padres’ earlier interest in Samardzija and Samardzija’s “young stud pitcher” perception into a certitude that he is so good, of course the Padres would make the deal if he were included.
Sorry, but San Diego doesn’t get to dump $65 million in long term obligations and get the best the Cubs have to offer in return. One, Samardzija isn’t going anywhere becasue of the no trade clause so why would the Padres even ask? Samardzija said the only place he wants to play is Chicago…End of story. And two, this is a salary dump. They have to move him, and with a limited no trade clause they can only move him to two teams. The Braves or the Cubs, and the Braves no longer have interest. A package of young pitchers or what not is all their going to get in return. Take it or leave it, the Cubs have all the leverage here… Their is no doubt about it. The Padres screwed themselves with asking for the moon. Now they’ll have to settle for low Earth orbit satellites. I’d rather have Roberts myself….
I agree with you that Samardzija is going nowhere he doesn’t want to go.
But that said, moving Jake Peavy isn’t just a salary dump. Sure, the Padres *seemingly* have to move him, but it’s not as if we’re talking about Jason Marquis. Jake Peavy has value, regardless of the salary obligations. Maybe the field of suitors is limited to the Cubs and Braves by Peavy right now, but after a couple months of languishing with a terrible, terrible Padre team, Jake might change his tune.