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To the armchair GMs arguing we shouldn't have traded him... a hypothetical situation for you (that after reading everything actually mirrors what I think the actual narrative is):
Peters comes to you after the season and says "pay me or trade me." He wants to be a 15-20mm/yr guy and wants it now. You think, "You're on a contract. We have the leverage." Peters responds that he'll sit out the entire season. And given his nature, you see this as a genuine threat. One might respond, "No way he'll walk away from the 2mm-ish he's set to earn this year." But from Peters's perspective, one season lost of 2mm in exchange for the potential of getting 15-20mm a year or two earlier than otherwise is still probably positive expected value on his part. Then you consider that the fan base is so polarized over this guy that it will be an epic PR disaster and overall team distraction if this guy sits out for a prolonged period of time, perhaps the entire season. Peters thus has a lot more leverage than initially anticipated and he knows it.
So your options are sign Peters to a long-term deal or trade him. Note: the status quo of doing nothing is not an option. There's little question his body of work on the field may well warrant 15-20mm/yr. But given all of the other character issues associated with him, do you really feel good handing out this contract to him now? As he puts a gun to your head?
If the above happened, my vote is to trade him. It's not crystal clear, but that's the way I'd play it.
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