There is pretty strong consensus on last night's trade that it was a good deal for the Red Sox. They needed pitching, and gave up someone that—while talented—is probably expendable. I agree with all of that. A few things need to be said, however:
First, it's pretty pointless to consider Peavy's career numbers, or his Cy Young Award, when talking about the trade. We get Peavy's future, not his past. The 2007 version of Jake Peavy isn't walking through that door.
The current version of Jake Peavy is pretty damn good. Last year he pitched 219 innings, more than any Red Sox pitcher in 8 years (guess the last Sox pitcher to throw that many innings—answer later). Terrific ERA, strikeout to walk ratio, opponent batting average, the works. He was doing ti all over again this year, with an ERA below 3, until he got hurt at the end of May.
I don't think Jose Iglesias is an All-Star for years to come. I don't care how many singles he had early in the year, he's not a hitter. No power, no speed, no plate recognition, and I'll bet the batting average is just a fluke. Have you seen what he's done in July? Good field, no hit. Dime a dozen.
If you're wondering about Xander Bogaerts (man, I love that name), he's hitting .273 with good power and an excellent on-base percentage in Pawtucket. That's after tearing the cover off the ball in Portland. He's 20, assuming Aruba isn't the Dominican Republic. The man is the real deal.
Not much not to like.
Oh yeah, the last Red Sox pitcher to throw 219 innings in a season? Nearly a decade ago it was Tim Wakefield. Seriously.