The White Sox starting rotation though is very deep, and suspect as Phil Humber is, the Sox don’t need a 5th starter much between now and Peavy’s anticipated return, and have rubber armed long reliever Tony Pena available to bail out Humber should the need occur.

Jake remains the “X-factor” though in the AL playoff race. If Jake makes it back to full strength, he’ll be a true #1 ace at the top of a starting rotation that would then have a very good Gavin Floyd at the back of it. As Jake goes, so go the White Sox World Series hopes this season.

I still love the trade with the Padres though, regardless of how far back Jake makes it. True #1 starters are few and far between, so just (basically), giving up Clayton Richard to land Peavy (and of course assume his big remaining contract), is the kind of a gamble that you’d hope all big market teams would be willing to make.

The White Sox traded away Richard and three prospects for Peavy. Two of those prospects have since been either released (and then quickly resigned by the White Sox), or traded (marginal reliever Russell who’s now at the back end of the Rays bullpen). The other is former White Sox #1 pick lefty hard throwing Adam Poreda (who’s now being converted by the Padres as a reliever at AAA), and Poreda remains plagued by wildness.

Bottom line? It was a true “win-win” deal for both clubs. The Padres couldn’t afford to keep Peavy and got a serviceable #3 starter in return. I say “serviceable” because Clayton Richards stats are very mis-leading, because he gets two to three mulligans every start (thanks to the NL continuing to stubbornly refuse to adopt the DH rule, which to me is like thumbing your nose at the notion of indoor plumbing), and pitches half his games in cavernous Petco Park.