Padres to Trade Jake Peavy to Cubs by July?

The stalled talks between the Padres and the Cubs over Jake Peavy may have yielded a secret subtext that might see the San Diego ace in Chicago at midseason

Noises from the two camps seem to hint that when the sale of the Cubs is complete, a sizable chunk of undesignated cash will be left on the balance sheets for the express purpose of acquiring a major free agent at midseason, more specifically before the end of July.

The prime candidate, of course, is Peavy, whose value will have reached his probable apex as various midseason contenders accelerate a rush for a playoff berth.

By holding onto Peavy for now, Padres front office executives in addition to collecting a significant midseason trade premium also are enabled to convince boxseat buyers, corporate sponsors, broadcasters, season-ticket holders, the general gate and others that the team is making a legitimate effort to compete out of spring camp, even if in their heart of hearts they know the effort may be perceived as something not entirely unlike a sham.

Whatever the outcome, the deal will likely hurt Peavy's stats if he leaves the friendly confines of San Diego.