Once again, Jake Peavy is an impact starter after trade to contending team
Earlier this year, the Giants were in the unfamiliar position of needing pitching help at the trade deadline. They've had some excellent pitching staffs in recent years, but Tim Lincecum's fade and Matt Cain's injury robbed the team of two of their veteran starters. Tim Hudson's stellar start to the season didn't last either.
So, prior to the trade deadline, the Giants dipped into their prospect pool and acquired NL West veteran Jake Peavy from the Red Sox. Boston decided to sell and Peavy, who had a 4.72 ERA in 20 starts for Boston this year, was very expendable. The Giants just needed someone to eat innings and he was available. The fit was obvious.
Peavy's first two starts after the trade were just okay -- eight total runs in 12 2/3 innings. Things turned around immediately after that. Coming into Monday night's series-opener against the Dodgers (GameTracker), Peavy pitched to a 1.13 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in his previous seven starts. He completed at least six innings in six of the seven starts and seven innings in five of the seven starts.
Peavy has been a nice shot in the arm for the Giants down the stretch, just like he was for the Red Sox after they acquired from the White Sox at least summer's trade deadline. Just like this year, his first two starts after the trade were rough (eight runs in 12 innings) but the next seven were very good (3.09 ERA and 0.99 WHIP). He stepped in and shored up a weakness for a contending team.
Now, obviously Peavy has been much better with the Giants this year than he was with the Red Sox last year, but at least some of that is due to the ballparks and leagues. Fenway Park is not a fun place to pitch and neither in the AL East. AT&T Park and the NL West are pretty much the exact opposite. Credit the Giants though, they recognized Peavy may improve after changing parks and leagues and he definitely has.
Cain is done for the season and Lincecum has been banished to the bullpen, so Peavy has gone from midseason pickup to No. 2 starter behind Madison Bumgarner. He didn't need to be that guy for the Red Sox but that's the kind of production he gave them late in the season. The Giants do need Peavy to be that guy and he's been outstanding. For the second straight year, he has come over in a midseason trade to give a contender's rotation a big boost.
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