Braves update

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves are seriously working on a trade for San Diego Padres ace Jake Peavy. Does this excite me sexually? No. I won't go that far. But that bulge in my pants is coming from somewhere.

With $40 million coming off the books this offseason, it's obvious the Braves are in a position to do something more about their shriveling pitching staff than the usual stockpiling of below-average middle relievers. C.C. Sabathia is out there, as are Ben Sheets, Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez, Ryan Dempster, Jon Garland and A.J. Burnett. Outside of Sabathia, however, no free-agent hurler is better than the 27-year-old Peavy, who also already has the Padres franchise record with 1,256 strikeouts and won the 2007 Cy Young Award.

Best of all, he's signed for four more years a salary that maxes out at $17 million a year - a bargain for someone of his quality. The Braves has publicaly expressed a reluctance to part with any more prospects after several years of trades for veterans that have performed OK, but someone like Peavy is worth an exception.

And dare I dream that, if they land Peavy, they'll still be able to sign a top-line free agent? Sabathia is probably out of reach, but Sheets or Lowe coupled with Peavy would give the Braves a formidable one-two punch. Then again, we've been hearing that for a few years now and it hasn't quite worked out that way.

Still, a sign of hope. Stay tuned.