The Padres are exploring a potential reunion with one of the iconic arms in franchise history.

Sources said the club has had discussions with Jake Peavy, the free-agent right-hander who began his career in San Diego and won the 2007 National League Cy Young Award here.

Peavy, 35, is coming off a down season — after the San Francisco Giants demoted him to the bullpen in August, he finished with a career-high 5.54 ERA over 31 games (21 starts) — and could be a fit on a one-year deal.

Padres General Manager A.J. Preller, following his policy on potential targets, declined to comment on any pursuit of Peavy.


Peripheral numbers suggest that the three-time All-Star can still be effective as a starter, which happens to be the Padres’ top need this offseason. Peavy, who posted a 4.36 Fielding Independent Pitching, was the victim of some bad luck in 2016. And though his average fastball velocity dipped below 90 mph, he had one of the higher spin rates in the league.

Peavy is a year removed from going 8-6 with a 3.58 ERA, albeit in only 19 starts.

The former 15th-round draft pick made his debut in 2002 and went 92-68 with a 3.29 ERA over parts of eight seasons in San Diego. He twice finished with the lowest ERA among major league starters, including in 2007, when he earned the Padres’ fourth and last Cy Young Award.

In 2009, Peavy exercised a clause in his contract to block a trade to the Chicago White Sox, announcing that San Diego was “the best place for me and my family.” He later agreed to be dealt, just before that year’s trade deadline. The return from the White Sox included left-hander Clayton Richard, who would become a rotation fixture and Tuesday re-signed with the Padres on a one-year deal. (Another veteran right-hander, Jhoulys Chacin, also signed a one-year deal.)


Peavy did not experience his previous level of success in Chicago, though he did produce his third All-Star season in 2012. He was traded to Boston in 2013, then to San Francisco in 2014, winning World Series titles in consecutive years.

Over his 15-year career, Peavy is 152-126 with a 3.63 ERA. He made $15 million last season, and while he stands to earn significantly less in 2017, San Diego historically has been a place where pitchers go to rebuild their value. In 92 career starts at Petco Park, Peavy is 38-28 with a 2.75 ERA.