The Trade Ninja Strikes Again: Peavy to White Sox

Jake Peavy to the White Sox! Let me tell ya, I’ve heard this story before. And then the big dragon came, but the knight saved the princess, we lived happily ever after, and I went to sleep. But it’s not a work of fiction this time. The Sox shipped off Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Adam Russell, and Dexter Carter to the Padres in exchange for the 28-year-old righty. The trade ninja strikes again! Who would have expected a trade that was already on the table and rejected? NO ONE! So, in a hap-hazard, quickly put together update, let's analyze this puppy!

Anyway, what does this mean? Well, assuming rehab (which, according to Kenny Williams, Peavy is starting around the 13th-15th of August) goes well, the Sox add an ace to their staff. Sure, it’s a little silly that Peavy already said no to this deal once and we could have had him on our staff a month ago, but it could be worth the wait.

It also means the Sox lose two lefties. Clayton Richard (probably the focal point of this trade from the Padres' point of view) has had his ups and downs, but after 2 great starts, his stock is at an all-time high, so it was the right time to trade. He leaves the Sox with a 4.65 ERA (pretty decent) and a 4-3 record. With continued coaching, he could do great things, relying on his well-located fastball. Fans will remember his broad shoulders, his pained grimace, and his fielding errors. Farewell, Clay Rich!

Aaron Poreda showed potential in the bullpen this year. He went 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 10 relief appearances with the White Sox before being optioned to Charlotte on the 21st. Also, he was doing quite well as a starting pitcher in the minors last year. It will be up to the Padres to find out whether or not he has what it takes as a starter in the majors.

Adam Russell went into hiding last year after a rollercoaster of relief outings. Fans will remember him for… umm… being really, really tall.

Dexter Carter… well, to be honest, I don’t know much about him other than the blurbs posted on the Sox website.

1 for the price of 4. It hardly seems fair, but that’s the name of the game when you are looking for something to make up for the frequent incompetence of the pitchers at the end of the rotation.

In the meanwhile, D.J. Carrasco will get the start against the Yankees tonight. More than anything, I am fascinated to see how this will play out. Carrasco showed to be fantastic in long relief last year when Jose Contreras had to leave the game after just an inning or so. If he’s properly rested (he hasn’t pitched in 3 days, which shouldn’t be TOO awful since that makes it less than 2 innings of work over the last week), he could really give the chance to score. Of course, there isn’t much left in the bullpen to back him up, but we will have to see how the events pan out.