BREAKING: Peavy traded to White Sox

Photo from 'SD Dirk' via Flikr

Midnight is the Major League Baseball trading deadline, so we figured we’d be seeing some moves from the Padres today.

There has been talk to Heath Bell going to various cities like Florida or Los Angeles, in addition to Adrian Gonzalez going to Boston, but little did we know that GM Kevin Towers would follow through with a trade that nearly happened two months ago.

Yes, the trade rumored to happen earlier this season, only for ace Jake Peavy to turn it down via his no-trade clause, has happened on the final day before the trade deadline. Peavy will be headed to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for four pitchers (two lefties, two righties).

The trade is as follows:

White Sox get
Jake Peavy, RHP

Padres get
Aaron Poreda (LHP)
Clayton Richard (LHP)
Dexter Carter (RHP)
Adam Russell (RHP)

Out of the four, Richard is the only one on the White Sox major league roster. His record this season is 4-3 with a 4.65 ERA in 26 games this season (14 of which were starts).

Carter is only 23 years old, with a 3.13 ERA and 143 strikeouts in 19 startts with Single A Kannapolis this year.

Russell, 26, is 2-2 with a 3.20 ERA. He has five saves in 34 relief appearances in Charlotte. He was also 4-0 with a 5.19 ERA in 22 relief appearances with the major league squad in Chicago last year.

Poreda, 22, was optioned to AAA Charlotte from AA Birmingham last week and is 3-4 with a 2.72 ERA this year.

While getting four promising pitchers is a godsend for a bullpen that has been plagued with injury and inconsitency throughout the season, it will be tough to say goodbye to Peavy, who has been a fantastic representative of the Padres and has always been great to the fans, not to mention outright dominant on the mound.

Good luck in Chicago Jake – we’ll be pulling for you to get that ring.