Sox part with 4 promising pitchers for Cy Young winner Peavy

Back in late May, the White Sox were floundering in the AL Central and the San Diego Padres were riding a winning streak and playing like a darkhorse team in the NL West.

So it's not all that surprising ace starting pitcher Jake Peavy exercised his no-trade clause on a deal that would have sent him to the Sox.

Just over two months later, the Sox are contending and the Padres are a mess, entering Friday's play in last place, 221/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Maybe that's why White Sox general manager Kenny Williams picked up the phone again Friday morning and called Padres counterpart Kevin Towers.

"If you recall, (Peavy) never said no," Williams said. "He said: 'Not yet.'

"Those words meant just that. If you allow the process to play out sometimes and you are patient in your pursuit, then sometimes you can get what you want."

Williams finally landed the 28-year-old Peavy Friday, narrowly beating the 3 p.m. (Chicago time) nonwaiver deadline.

Unable to contact him by phone, Barry Axelrod, Peavy's agent, went to the pitcher's house to lay out the trade and get approval on waiving the no-trade clause.

"Literally with two minutes left, I'm on the phone with Axelrod and I'm on the phone with Kevin Towers and (assistant GM) Rick (Hahn) is on the phone with MLB because it has to be in," Williams said. "I really didn't think it all was going to come together in the end. I was prepared for it to not meet the deadline. It all came together with 23 seconds on the clock."

There's no question Williams badly wanted Peavy, who is 6-6 with a 3.97 ERA in 13 starts for San Diego this season.

That's why the White Sox' GM parted with a package of four promising young pitchers - Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Adam Russell and Dexter Carter.

"To get a No. 1, you have to pay the price," Williams said. "Clayton Richard, we believe, especially going to the National League and in San Diego's ballpark, I told him, 'You are about to be a very successful and rich man. You are going to do well over there.' Aaron Poreda as well and Dexter Carter is coming and Russell has improved since you last saw him.

"So, yes, we paid the price, but I'm not adverse to doing that if you get what you want."

The obvious question for the White Sox is: When will they get Peavy?

The National League's 2007 Cy Young Award winner has been out since June 13 with a strained tendon in his right ankle.

Peavy, a career 92-68 with a 3.29 ERA, is expected to get back on the mound in mid-August, make 3 rehab starts in the minor leagues and join the White Sox' rotation at the end of the month during a gut-check road trip to Boston, New York and Minnesota.

Last season, Peavy landed on the disabled list with a strained elbow, but Williams said injuries are not a concern.

"He's had one arm issue over the last number of years," Williams said. "This is an ankle injury that we have no concerns with whatsoever."

Peavy is scheduled to fly to Chicago on Saturday morning and meet with the media before the Sox play the Yankees.

Williams inquired about Toronto's Roy Halladay, but the asking price was astronomical.

With Peavy, the White Sox have the starter locked up for 2010-2012 for $38 million. Peavy is owed $22 million in 2013, but the Sox hold a $4 million buyout.

Getting a healthy Peavy back in time for the September stretch run is an obvious goal, but the White Sox like the looks of their future rotation, which also includes Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd and John Danks.

"I don't know anything about him," Buehrle said of Peavy. "I've just seen him on SportsCenter. Obviously, I've seen how good he's done with San Diego his whole career. I don't think it's going to have any effect coming over to the American League and pitching here in this ballpark.

"It seems like he's a sinkerball pitcher anyways. He's a strikeout pitcher, so I don't think there's going to be any problems."

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