According to local media reports, San Diego Padres CEO Sandy Alderson anticipates pitcher Jake Peavy will begin the 2009 season with the ballclub.

The Padres have shopped Peavy since the end of last season, and trade talks had been ongoing with the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs. On the final day of last week’s baseball winter meetings, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry informed the Padres that they were dropping out of the Peavy trade talks. The Braves are still looking to acquire a frontline pitcher before the start of spring training.

“We said from the very beginning in connection with both of those possibilities that we would not make a trade unless it made baseball sense,” Alderson said. “We are no longer actively pursuing any trade for Jake, which is not to say someone won’t approach us.”

The Padres are committed to lowering their payroll from $70 million to $40 million for 2009. They already have $27.5 million guaranteed salary on the books for next season. Peavy’s consent is needed before any trade is completed due to his no-trade clause.