Here's looking back on the Jake Peavy "haul." So far this year, Peavy is off to a horrendous start with the White Sox.  While he only allowed 4 hits last night, Jake was 0-2 with a 7.85 ERA in 5 starts in April and went winless in a "full" month for the first time since June of 2006 (0-3, 5.28 ERA). He lowered his ERA to 6.31 after last night's start against the Royals.

Peavy went to the White Sox in a "blockbuster trade" that sent Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Adam Russell and Dexter Carter to the Padres while Jake Peavy was still on the DL.

Peavy's agent, "Frankly I am flabbergasted that the White Sox would want to make this deal with him in his physical condition," Axelrod said.

Here's Ken Rosenthal: "At a time when teams protect young pitchers as if they are precious miniatures, Williams traded four PRIZED arms for Peavy, who has not pitched since June 8 and, for all anyone knows, might not pitch again this season.

FOX SPORTS winners and losers have the Padres as winners:

"Winner: Padres Persistence pays. Two months earlier, Jake Peavy turned down a similar trade to the ChiSox. But he thought better of it, and the Padres did way better than they could've dreamed of doing next year with Peavy still in tow. The Pads got four pitchers, including lefty Clayton Richard (pictured), who is already rotation-ready. Don't sleep on the others, either. Aaron Poreda, another lefty, had a 2.72 ERA between Triple-A and Double-A. It's surely hard for Padres fans to say goodbye to Peavy, but the future looks a bit brighter thanks to this deal."

Richard was drafted in '05 and spent the second half of the year in the minors. It's not as if Richard was getting lit up in the minors, either; he was steadily rising while advancing towards the show.

Richard was 5-2 last year after coming over in the Peavy deal. 4 of those wins were at Petco Park as he did not lose a game at home. In 64 innings he posted a 4.08 ERA in 12 starts and an impressive .244 BAA with the Padres.

Richard has a two and four seam fast-ball that he compliments with a slider, change up and a newly implemented cutter. Richard's fast ball is best utilized working down in the zone and can induce many ground balls. He has touched 96 and often touched 95 both last year and this year. However, he is usually around 91-93 with a nice downward plain.

Richard has already been on the short end of run support, and has had problems getting out of the 6th inning. However through 5 games, Richard has kept the Padres in ball games and looked very impressive. Richard has a 3.00 ERA 1-2 so far this year. A lefty that throws 92-95 with a downward plain inducing ground balls - I'll take that!

Additionally, the Padres "prize" in the deal was the arm of the hard throwing Aaron Poreda. He was rated the #1 prospect in the White Sox entire system in 2008 by Baseball America. In the 2009 Baseball America Top Prospects list, Poreda dropped to the #3 on the the White Sox overall behind 2008 #1 draft pick SS Gordon Beckham and Cuban signee 3B Dayan Viciedo, but still was listed as the #63 prospect overall. Aaron certainly did not drop because of performance, but a credit to the White Sox depth.

According to MinorLeagueBaseball.com, Aaron Poreda has a plus-plus fastball that sits comfortably at 95-96 mph and sinks and runs, while still catching the plate for strikes. They list his slider and changeup as fair, but in need of plenty of work. (It looks like this report is from 2007, so perhaps his other pitches have improved since then to better complement his obviously wicked fastball).

Poreda struggled In AAA last year with his command, something that was out of the ordinary for him. He had never had any control issues and had conceded that he was not himself and felt some added pressure. The Padres this spring training sent Poreda to AA to hone is craft and is probably now more suited for the back end of the bullpen.

An invite to big league camp, Poreda was part of the team's final round of cuts on March 15. Still a work in progress, the ceiling remains very high for Poreda with his outstanding heater in AA-San Antonio. A second-round draft pick in 2007, Poreda has struggled with command since acquired. His fastball has topped out at 99 mph on the radar gun and he is an intimidating presence at 6-foot-6, 240-pounds while throwing gas, but he walked 37 batters in 32 2/3 innings at Portland, five more in 2 1/3 innings with the Padres in '09 and another seven in 2 1/3 innings this spring. The Padres take the "lets not rush the prospect mentality" by directing him back to AA.

Poreda has logged a very impressive line of 1.50 ERA in 12.0 innings pitched not allowing any HR's striking out 7 but walking 11 in 9 games. Something he will have to continue to work on with the Double-A San Antonio Missions in 2010.

The other player in the trade that to me is a bit under the radar is 6-foot-8, 255-pound reliever Adam Russell. Russell had a 3.65 ERA in 15 games with the Padres last season and an impressive 2.45 ERA in Spring Training line en route to securing one of the final spots in the bullpen.

So far so good in Russell's first two appearances to start the year. In his 3.1 innings of work he has not surrendered a hit and walked just one batter. He was sent back to Portland when the Padres re-called Joe Thatcher who had been on the DL.

The other pitcher acquired for Peavy - Dexter Carter - started this season in the minor leagues in Single-A Fort Wayne. When the Padres acquired Carter last season, he was leading the Class-A South Atlantic League in strikeouts. In fact, at one point was leading ALL of the minor leagues in K's! He was 6-1 with a 2.23 ERA.

The right hander has a fastball that averages 90-mph but touching the mid 90's. A work in progress change-up that is much improved and a respectable curve-ball, but scouts say, Carter needs to be more consistent with his mechanics and arm angle.

Carter with the Single-A Fort Wayne is 1-3 with a 4.68 ERA in 25.0 innings but still almost averaging a K an inning with 23 tallied thus far.

While the White Sox know what they received in former CY winner in Jake Peavy, it may be a matter of years before we see how Poreda, coined as the "prize in the deal," part plays out. This year, however, the Pads are getting pitchers in Richard and Russell who are already paying dividends for their first place team. Richard looks as if he plays with a load of confidence on the mound, often laughing or smiling. You have to respect a player that is having fun, working quickly, and pitching very well. As for Russell, this guy has legit stuff. Russell who looks like he could be a future closer and possibly even surpassing Adams and Gregerson. Adam throws primarily a two seam fast ball from 95 touching 96 with absolutely filthy movement! A four seamer that is much straighter but can dial it up to 97-98. Russell compliments his two fast-balls with a change up and a slider which are both respectable allowing him to throw them at anytime during an at bat regardless of the count. He is definitely a force on the mound with closer mentality and more importantly, STUFF!

Taking Jake's salary off the books was essential for the Padres for many reasons. However as we stand today it looks as if KT, the "gun slinger" pulled the trigger on a very good deal despite Peavy being on the DL. Only time will fully tell the story but money aside, I still think we are looking at MANY good years from not only Richard, but Russell and perhaps Poreda and Carter.

My final prognoses: the Padres hosed the White Sox and Kenny Williams.