St. Louis Cardinals: Four Possible Free Agent Replacements for Alex Reyes

No. 2 – Jake Peavy

The 15-year veteran Jake Peavy is still in need of a new home and the St. Louis Cardinals could be a good fit. Peavy is at the end of his career looking to win while the Cardinals would benefit from his extensive experience and his leadership.

Peavy has played for the San Francisco Giants for the past three seasons but was also a part of the 2013 Boston Red Sox rotation that defeated the Cardinals in the World Series. Peavy has played in big moments, pitched for successful teams, and has won a Cy Young award. However, with his age rising and his velocity dipping, he has been put into a 5th starter/swing-man type of role.

In 2016, Peavy pitched in 31 games making 21 starts and had a 5.54 ERA. However, in 2015, he made 19 starts and pitched well enough to post a 3.58 ERA. He’s shown the ability to be more than serviceable as a starter and long reliever despite being 35-years old.

With Reyes out for the season the Cardinals could use another option for a 5th starter and long reliever type role. Reyes was likely to serve in that capacity for his rookie season and provided the rotation with some much needed security while also providing the bullpen with a weapon.

Peavy could fill that void while also providing a number of benefits that aren’t quantifiable on a stat sheet. His experience is rare in today’s game while his leadership is invaluable and the Cardinals would be lucky to have someone like Peavy in the clubhouse.