Playoff blunder notwithstanding, Ryan Dempster had a stellar year for the Cubs, posting careers bests in wins, ERA+ and WHIP. But, it seems as though he might feel a bit put off by the Cubs in their ongoing saga to try and nab Jake Peavy.

Paul Sullivan of the Trib explains:

The question Dempster must ask himself is: Why should I take a hometown discount when the team is apparently willing to spend more money on Peavy?

The Cubs have exclusive negotiating rights with their own free agents through Thursday. They are believed to have offered Dempster $50 million over four years, a number he should be able to beat on the open market. Atlanta and the New York Yankees are prospective bidders, and with starting pitching at a premium, others are certain to join in.

General manager Jim Hendry knows Dempster wants to return. But Hendry’s sudden interest in Peavy gives him some leverage in case Dempster tests the market, as expected. Dempster’s agent, Craig Landis, told Newsday at the general managers’ meetings: “There’s very little possibility he’s going to sign soon with the Cubs.”

Yeah, can’t say I blame Dempster here. If the Cubs are already trying to provide a safety net for themselves, and he’s going to be able to nab more money at a contender like the Yankees, what’s the point? I suppose he could sign for less, the Cubs could snatch up Peavy and then they’d have a sick staff. But yeah, not very likely at this point.

With the Braves apparently still the front runner for Peavy, the Cubs losing out on both him and Dempster would be the worst case scenario. But hey, at least they still have Fukudome to platoon in center, right?