In the wake of Jake Peavy rejected a trade to the White Sox, Paul Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes the Brewers could be an option to land Peavy. I discussed this last season when I suggested the Brewers needed another ace to pair with Yovani Gallardo after the departures of Sheets and Sabathia.

Though San Diego ace Jake Peavy exercised his no-trade rights to veto a deal to the Chicago White Sox, you have to figure the cost-cutting Padres will continue to seek a trade.

Don't be surprised if the Milwaukee Brewers jump in at some point.

It was obvious by what the Sox put on the table that the Padres are looking for good, young pitchers in any deal for Peavy. Clayton Richard and Aaron Poreda, the top young pitchers in Chicago's system, were in the four-player package offered to San Diego.

That would seem to count out the Brewers, who have no pitching prospects to trade at the top of their farm system.

But, as suitors fall by the wayside because of Peavy's no-trade rights, the cost eventually could come down. Peavy backed the Padres farther into a corner by vetoing the White Sox trade and making it clear he prefers to stay in the National League.

That's where the Brewers might make their second bold move in two seasons. Peavy certainly would bend their finances, with an $11 million salary in 2009 and $52 million remaining on his deal over the next three years (including a buyout for 2013).

But owner Mark Attanasio makes his living in the financial world and knows how to be creative. Some payroll space will be created when Jeff Suppan's $12.5 million salary comes off the books after next season.

Despite his high salary, Peavy is more attractive in a trade because he'll be around at least three more years. Last season, the Brewers knew when they acquired CC Sabathia from Cleveland they'd probably lose him to free agency afterward.

Whether the Brewers could come up with the players it would take to do such a deal is debatable. General manager Doug Melvin has said he has no inclination to trade his top two prospects, third baseman Mat Gamel and shortstop Alcides Escobar.

For the Brewers to make the deal last offseason, I suggested they part with Gamel and Escobar. In hindsight, that was too much. Once the Padres back off on their demands -- after all, they need to move Peavy pretty bad -- Escobar and a few other quality prospects could get this deal going.

The Padres need to rebuild and Escobar would give them a solid base in the infield to do that. San Diego's doesn't have many pitching prospects, but its home stadium makes average pitchers good and good pitchers great.

Besides, San Diego still has a great bargaining chip after Peavy: Adrian Gonzalez.

This deal would give the Brewers an opportunity to content all season long in the weak National League Central. Because Peavy's deal lasts through 2012, that would give them a few more seasons to reap the benefits of having traded for this ace.

Don't expect Peavy to the Brewers to be a foregone conclusion, but it's a deal that makes plenty of sense for both sides involved.

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