Could St. Louis Cardinals trade Allen Craig for Jake Peavy?

The latest trade rumor sees the St. Louis Cardinals sending Allen Craig to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for pitcher Jake Peavy.

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Here is what we know for sure: the Cardinals scouted Peavy’s recent start and they had interest in him in the past, most recently when he was with the Chicago White Sox. As we reported yesterday, Peavy is in the final year of his current contract but holds a player option for the 2015 season.

I can understand moving Craig and this is something that has been discussed frequently. In order to give Oscar Taveras regular playing time, either Craig or Matt Adams have to be moved. With the way Adams has been swinging the bat of late, he’s not going anywhere at all.

I know Craig is having a down year but he’s not the super-human that we saw last season with runners in scoring position. All of his numbers are not only down but way down compared to the past two seasons. He has a team-friendly contract so it’s probable that the Cardinals will seek more than just Peavy in return. Peavy might not pick up his player option and would essentially be a rent-a-player.

Here is what Ken Rosenthal reported today:

The teams spoke about a month ago but not specifically about Peavy. At the time, the Red Sox expressed interest in the Cardinals’ young outfielders, according to a source.The Cardinals obviously would not trade six years of control over Randal Grichuk or Stephen Piscotty for a potential free agent such as Peavy. But perhaps the teams could expand the deal or swap other players. For example, as bad as Allen Craig has looked for the Cardinals, his right-handed bat might interest the Red Sox in a larger trade.

I don’t think they move Grichuk or Piscotty but I highly expect Craig won’t be a Cardinal by the end of July. The Cardinals aren’t willing to part with top prospects in the pitching or outfield departments.