Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports [/caption]The Boston Red Sox are looking to the future as the trade deadline looms, and their firm last place position in the AL East is in stark contrast to where this team was at this time last season.
The starting pitcher that helped them go the extra mile in last year's playoffs became the first casualty of the Sox slide.
Jake Peavy, acquired late last year, is going back to play in the National League West. He will even be fortunate enough to play for the same coach who mentored him at the beginning of his career.
Peavy will have his first start for the San Francisco Giants Sunday after being traded for two minor league pitching prospects.
Though he only managed one win for the Red Sox this season, it was not his fault as much as it was the cold Red Sox bats. Run support for his appearances was especially pitiful with only two total runs scored by his former team over his last six starts.
The Red Sox get left-handed starter Edwin Escobar and right-handed reliever Heath Hembree in the deal. Both are very talented players in the Giants minor league system.
The two-for-one deal makes it obvious that the Red Sox are more concerned about the long-term outlook for the team right now than they are about getting back into the pennant race this season.
Meanwhile, Peavy will be taking the mound for an old friend: Giants manager Bruce Bochy. The Giants skipper was with Peavy for his San Diego Padres debut 12 years ago. The two worked together for 4.5 seasons
"Bochy is my guy," Peavy said. "He raised me in the game; I was 20-years-old and as green as any grapes as you've ever seen on a vine. He took care of me, taught me how to be a professional and taught me how to get my work done. He's a guy I dearly love, so I'm excited as ever to be reunited with him."
Peavy's 1-9 record and 4.72 ERA over 20 starts for the Red Sox this season did not phase Bochy. Neither does his 20 home runs allowed, which leads the American League.
"I've always admired how he plays the game. He's all-out, full-bore in everything he does. He's a guy you want on your club," Bochy said of Peavy.
Some of Peavy's best Major League years came during his time in the National League. He went 86-62 with the Padres, won the 2007 NL Cy Young Award and had a sub-3.00 ERA in four seasons.
He also has some history with the field where the Giants play. Peavy is 8-5 with a 3.90 ERA in 14 career starts at AT&T Park. He's allowed seven home runs in 87 2/3 innings there.
To finalize the deal, the Red Sox also offered to pay half of Peavy's remaining salary for this season, amounting to around $5 million.
The move has to be bittersweet for Peavy, who grew very close to his Red Sox teammates and actually bought a duck boat after the World Series parade in Boston last year. His team and the city of Boston as a whole welcomed him and made him feel at home in his short stint with the Sox.
At the same time, going back to the West Coast means that Peavy will jump right into another pennant race instead of cooling his heels in the AL East basement with his old pals in Boston.
Peavy has a record of 14-2 with a 2.21 ERA in 25 career starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team that represents the greatest threat to keeping the Giants out of the playoffs.
The Giants also have recent World Series history, so the cross-country trade gives Peavy an excellent chance of getting another ring to add to his collection.
