The Padres announced this afternoon that Jake Peavy has returned to the organization as a special assistant to CEO Erik Greupner. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the news just before the club finalized the hiring.
“I’m incredibly appreciative of this opportunity to reunite with my Padres family,” the longtime MLB starter said in a press release. “San Diego has always held a special place in my heart. I’m a Padre through and through – from the moment I was drafted by the team until this very day, and I can’t wait to work alongside this talented group and contribute in any way I can to the success of this great organization.”
Peavy, 43, played more than half of 15-year big league career in San Diego. The Padres selected him out of high school in the 1999 draft. Peavy reached the majors three years later and broke through as an ace by 2004. The righty won the ERA title with a 2.27 mark over 27 starts that season. That kicked off a run of four sub-3.00 showings across five years. Peavy led the National League with 216 strikeouts in ’05. His 240 punchouts and 2.54 earned run average in ’07 were both best in the majors. He won the Cy Young and finished seventh in MVP balloting.
The Friars traded Peavy to the White Sox at the ’09 deadline. Over parts of eight seasons in a Padre uniform, he worked to a 3.29 ERA with just over a strikeout per inning. Peavy’s big career stretched for another seven years. He played for the White Sox, Red Sox and Giants through the 2016 campaign. The Padres inducted him into their organizational Hall of Fame in 2023.
