The Jake Peavy-Cubs trade talks have reached a point where it will be a stunner if the Cubs don’t acquire Peavy, who immediately would become the best pitcher on a staff that already boasts Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly and Rich Harden.

That’s because two general managers -– the Padres’ Kevin Towers and the Cubs’ Jim Hendry -- are working hard to make it happen. If it doesn’t happen, it’ll become one of the few trades -– maybe the first -- that couldn’t be made when BOTH general managers were motivated to get it done.

Towers told reporters on Monday that the Cubs were the only team he is continuing to talk to about Peavy and that making a Peavy trade was his full focus at the winter meetings. He then went out and proved it by working to facilitate a potentially four-team trade that would send Mark DeRosa to Philadelphia and Felix Pie to Baltimore and bring back pitchers Garrett Olson, J.A. Happ (the Northwestern product) and Sean Marshall for the Padres.

The key for that deal to work is for the Phillies or Orioles to take Jason Marquis, with the Cubs agreeing to eat some of his salary.

Would this be a good deal for the Cubs?

Getting Peavy unquestionably makes it a good deal, even though DeRosa could be missed. His departure would make the left-handed-hitting Mike Fontenot the second baseman, partially fulfilling Lou Piniella’s wish to become more balanced. The addition of a left-handed-hitting right fielder –- some reports now say Milton Bradley is at the top of their list –- would make Piniella very happy.

Peavy has turned in sub-3 earned run averages in four of the last five seasons, including a 2.85 mark last year. He’s been helped by Petco Park, sure, but overall he’s allowed only 315 hits in 397 innings the last two years. That figure doesn’t have much to do with Petco’s large dimensions.