Peavy changes Sox, heads to Boston

It seems like Jake Peavy has been giving his goodbye speech since early June when, after scratching and clawing back to the .500 mark at 24-24, the White Sox lost eight in a row and fell hopelessly out of contention.

On Tuesday night, Peavy finally make his way to the exit door.

Peavy, who was 8-4 with a 4.28 ERA and 1 complete game in 13 starts this season, was traded to the Boston Red Sox late Tuesday night in a three-team deal that included the Detroit Tigers.

The White Sox get outfielder Avisail Garcia from Detroit, and the Tigers get shortstop Jose Iglesias from Boston.

The White Sox also received three minor-league players from Boston in the trade — infielder Cleulius Rondon and pitchers Francelis Montas and Jeffery Wendelken.

And Hahn still has time to trade other players such as Alex Rios and Alexei Ramirez before Wednesday’s 3 p.m. (Chicago time) deadline.

For now, let’s focus on Garcia, who will begin his White Sox career at Class AAA Charlotte.

Only 22, the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder can hit, run and throw, and he figures to add power with age and experience. Garcia debuted with the Tigers last year and had a hitting line of .319/.373/.319 with no home runs and 3 RBI in 23 games.

In 30 games with Detroit this year, the Venezuelan had a .241/.273/.373 hitting line with 2 home runs and 10 RBI.

He’s a player with plenty of upside, batting a combined .387 with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs and 27 RBI in 38 games this year with Class A Lakeland and AAA Toledo.

“Garcia is a very young, five-tool player who has already spent time in the major leagues,” Hahn said in a statement. “Our scouts are extremely optimistic about his future and view him as a potential impact talent for many years to come.”

Garcia injured his right heel in spring training and opened the season at Lakeland on a rehab assignment.

Earlier this month he was optioned to Toledo after riding the bench behind Torii Hunter, the Tigers’ veteran right fielder.

“You’re seeing what happens when you get young players sitting around,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland told reporters after Garcia was sent down. “They get rusty. Right now his swing has lengthened out a little bit and he’s chasing bad pitches.

“So the best tonic for him is to get down there, get back in the lineup every day.”

Detroit needed Iglesias because it soon could be losing shortstop Jhonny Peralta to a lengthy suspension due to his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal.

As for Peavy, he probably would have preferred returning to the National League, but he has been ready for anything for several weeks.

“It’s been a roller-coaster ride,” Peavy said Sunday before leaving U.S. Cellular Field for the final time. “Coming over here as an injured player, getting healthy and then having a significant arm injury, you know, I learned a lot about myself personally.

“I’ve had a pleasurable time here in Chicago. I love this city, that’s why I did not even go to free agency this winter with a little bit of a case to go.

“If it was the last time, it’s been all I ever imagined, but we’ll see how that plays out.”

ŸFollow Scot’s White Sox and baseball reports on Twitter@scotgregor, and check out his Chicago’s Inside Pitch blog at dailyherald.com.