The trade deadline always means a surprise or two. A pair of staff aces moved in the final days of July, and arguably the biggest surprise was that one was named Jake Peavy instead of Roy Halladay.

It’s likely the White Sox-Padres trade just before the final bell marked the first time a player was involved in a trade between the same teams twice in the same season -- both times moving in the same direction. Peavy was dealt to Chicago in May and rejected the deal under the terms of his contract.

This time Peavy accepted the move to Chicago.

“He never said no, he just said ‘not yet,”’ White Sox general manager Kenny Williams said after Friday’s deal. It’s still “not yet,” as the 28-year-old right-hander has been on the disabled list since mid-June and won’t return until late August at the earliest. He has been sidelined with a strained tendon in his right ankle.

Give Williams credit once again for flying under the radar and pulling the trigger on a big deal for the stretch run. This deal is more than just a short-term answer, of course, as Peavy signed a lengthy contract extension in December 2007. According to Rotowire, he will be paid $15 million next season, $16 million in 2011 and $17 million in 2012, plus a $22 million option for 2013.

Meanwhile, the trade deadline’s most targeted prize, Roy Halladay, isn’t going anywhere -- at least for now. Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi said he wouldn’t deal the right-hander unless he was overwhelmed by a trade offer, and it wasn’t just posturing. He smartly kept Halladay, his 32-year-old ace. Why would he deal Halladay if the Jays are as close to competing as Ricciardi has often implied?

Perhaps Halladay will have a new address by the start of the 2010 season, but that wouldn’t be a smart move. Since Halladay moved into Toronto’s rotation for good in 2002, no major league pitcher has posted more wins:

Most Wins, 2002-2009

Roy Halladay. . . . 124
Roy Oswalt. . . . . 121
Johan Santana. . .118
Derek Lowe. . . . .116
Mark Buehrle. . . .113
CC Sabathia. . . . .110

Halladay is 124-53 in this span, good for a .701 winning percentage. There are 129 major league pitchers who have won at least 40 games over these years, and Halladay is the only one with a winning percentage of .700 or higher.

The Blue Jays ditched the remains of one of a number of high-dollar contracts when Ricciardi dealt Scott Rolen to Cincinnati on Friday. Still, thanks to the general manager, the Jays are stuck with tens of millions of dollars in bad contracts for a number of veterans. Halladay is the one guy who may be worth the money he’s paid. Although Ricciardi made the right call in keeping Halladay, he’s the guy who should have a new working address next spring.