Report: Padres, Peavy discussing reunion

Jake Peavy's career began in San Diego, and now it might have the chance to come full circle.

The Padres have reportedly had discussions about a reunion with the free-agent right-hander, who won the Cy Young Award while wearing their uniform in 2007, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. It's unclear how far along negotiations between the two sides have advanced.

Peavy struggled with the San Francisco Giants in 2016, posting a career-worst 5.54 ERA and 1.433 WHIP over 31 appearances and eventually being bumped from the rotation midseason. Still, the 35-year-old posted a respectable 4.36 FIP during his down year, and his strikeout numbers actually spiked from 6.3 per nine innings in 2015 to 7.7, indicating he may still have something left in the tank.

Given his age and down year, Peavy would seem to be a good fit for the rebuilding Padres, who could use a veteran presence in their young rotation. General manager A.J. Preller has already been busy bolstering his team's staff this week, reportedly inking Clayton Richard and Jhoulys Chacin to one-year deals; both pitchers could serve as a bridge during their current rebuild, and Peavy might fit that mold.

A 15th-round pick of the Padres in 1999, Peavy reached the majors in 2002 and was the team's ace two years later. He won the NL pitching Triple Crown in his Cy Young season of 2007, and led Senior Circuit pitchers in both ERA and strikeouts in 2004, all while helping the Padres make their two most recent playoff appearances. By the time he was traded to the Chicago White Sox in July 2009 - for a package that, ironically, included Richard - Peavy ranked at or near the top of virtually every pitching category in Padres history.

PEAVY'S PADRES CAREER

Peavy has also pitched for the Boston Red Sox, and helped both them and the Giants win World Series in 2013 and '14, respectively. He owns a career 3.63 ERA, 1.196 WHIP, and 2,207 strikeouts in 2,377 innings pitched.