Collision inevitable; assume crash positions

With the NL targets for Peavy seemingly dwindling (Braves seem the leader), the natural collision between the Yanks and the Padres now appears inevitable. I've been saying this for some time: Don't count out the Yanks until the ink is signed on a trade landing Peavy somewhere else.

The Yankees could put together a package built around Phil Hughes and Austin Jackson, according to a source, although they would likely have to include two or three more players, one of which could be Ian Kennedy. The Padres, according to the source, have no interest in Robinson Cano. Hughes was the closest thing the Yankees had to untouchable last year during the Johan Santana saga, but after the righthander's subpar 2008 season, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Yankees would move the 22-year-old.
......
Peavy identified the Braves, Cubs, Astros, Cardinals and Dodgers as the five teams he would want to play for if the Padres dealt him, while San Diego GM Kevin Towers said the pitcher has added the Yankees and Angels to that list. Chicago, Houston and St. Louis don't seem to match up well with San Diego, and Towers appears to have no interest in dealing Peavy to another NL West team, which would take the Dodgers out of the mix. Peavy, who has four years and roughly $60 million left on his contract, would apparently accept a deal to the Yankees or Angels if no deal with an NL team works out.

UPDATE (11/6/08, 10:28am): Ken Davidoff calls this rumor/collision not likely:

So...no on this. The Yankees know they're not getting Jake Peavy. He doesn't want to come to New York, despite whether his agent did or didn't include the Yankees in that informal list. The Braves and Cubs are the clear leaders for Peavy's services. Seems like a good chance that a trade will be completed before full free agency begins on Nov. 14th.

UPDATE (11/6/08, 12:55pm): Joel Sherman craps all over the Peavy-to-the-Yanks talk. He also repeats my fears about Peavy in the AL East and the fact that the more Peavy wants to accept a deal makes it more and more likely that he returns to SD.

As for Peavy, I reported two days ago that the Braves and Cubs had broken free of the pack. San Diego GM Kevin Towers - one of the most accessible GMs in the sport - has been open that this almost certainly will be an NL trade. Barry Axelrod - one of the most accessible agents in the sport - has made it clear that Peavy has not given approval to be dealt to the Yankees and that his client badly wants to stay in the NL. If you have any sources with the Yankees, they will tell you that it is a pipedream that the Yanks get Peavy. There are many reasons for this, but let me tell you an important one: The Yanks know that even if Peavy said, yes, he would agree to go to the Yanks, it would only be with the stipulation that his contract be re-worked. A key element in making Peavy so attractive right now is that he has a contract for four years at $68 million already in place. He would probably want that adjusted toward Johan Santana money to OK a deal, a year after the Yanks wouldn't give up the prospects and pay the dollars for Santana. And Peavy is not as good or dependable as Santana, or as projectable to be good in New York/the AL
East.

So there.