In an earlier post on the site, the possibility of the Phillies trading Cliff Lee to the Red Sox became more realistic. The catch was the White Sox were dangling their ace, Jake Peavy, on the market as a cheaper option for teams that didn't want to overpay for Lee. Now, Buster Olney is reporting Peavy may no longer be available:
"The White Sox are telling other teams they're going to keep Peavy and build around him."
–Buster Olney
If this is true, the Phillies may have just hit the jackpot. Cliff Lee would not only be the best available starting pitcher, but just about the only option for a team looking to bolster their team headed into a playoff run. This is only good news for the Phillies, as it gives them leverage in negotiations and widens the possibility of bringing in 3 to 4 "top" prospects as they were seeking earlier today. However, Olney does not rule out the possibility of the White Sox putting this information out to attract even more interest on Peavy:
"The White Sox may well be trying to apply more leverage in the Peavy talks by saying they're holding him, before making a move… We'll see."
–Buster Olney
We'll see indeed.
