Over the weekend, the Chicago White Sox locked up starter Mark Buehrle to a four-year, $56 million contract. Buehrle had been set to hit the free agent market in the offseason, where he likely would’ve commanded a deal anywhere from 5-7 years in length for $15-18 million per. Instead he’ll earn well below market value in order to stay in Chicago.

The left-hander not only signed for less money, but relented on his demands for a blanket no-trade clause for the contract’s duration, instead agreeing to a no-trade provision in the deal’s first season and an escalator clause in the deal’s second and third seasons should the White Sox trade him. The clause would guarantee a fifth year on the contract and bump Buehrle’s annual salary to $15 million.

Last month, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported that the Mets and White Sox had a “natural framework in place” for a Buehrle-for-Lastings Milledge swap, while other sources reported that the Boston Red Sox appeared to be the front-runners to land the pitcher. However, contrary to Olney’s report, Mets GM Omar Minaya subsequently revealed he had little interst in parting with any top prospects in exchange for an impending free agent, and Boston similarly seemed reluctant to dangle center field stud Jacoby Ellsbury.

With Buehrle now signed-and-sealed at an extremely team-friendly rate, Chicago could look to deal one of their other starters, such as Jose Contreras, Jon Garland, or Javier Vazquez. Contreras has been horrendous this season, however found success previously with a change of scenery and could welcome a reunion with fellow Cuban-defector Orlando Hernandez. Vazquez is probably a more appealing option – for the Mets at least – as the pitcher has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last month, and was a favorite of Minaya’s during his tenure as GM of the Monteral Expos.