ATLANTA — Javier Vazquez knows exactly what the Atlanta Braves were looking for when they traded for him: A durable starter to plug one of the holes in their uncertain rotation.

Vazquez was shipped to Atlanta earlier this week as part of a six-player trade between the Chicago White Sox and Atlanta Braves. Four prospects were sent to the White Sox in return: catcher Tyler Flowers, infielders Jonathan Gilmore and Brent Lillibridge, and left-handed pitcher Santos Rodriguez. Boone Logan, a left-handed reliever, also went to the Braves.
“Hopefully, I can bring a consistent guy to the rotation, someone who can just take the ball every five days and give his team a chance to win,” Vazquez said. “That’s what they’re expecting of me and that’s what I’m expecting of myself, to put up innings for the Braves.”

Vazquez reached 200 innings for the eighth time in nine years this season, going 12-16 with a 4.67 ERA in 33 starts for the AL Central champion White Sox. However, after manager Ozzie Guillen declared that Vazquez wasn’t a big-game pitcher, he faltered in the closing innings. Vazquez was 0-4 with a 13.22 ERA in his last three starts during the regular season and the playoff opener against Tampa Bay.

“I just always try to move forward and just go on with my life, I guess,” Vazquez said. “I really like to be a positive guy and show a positive side to other people. I really try to stay away from the negativity.”

The 32-year-old right-hander has a 127-129 career record with Montreal, the New York Yankees, Arizona and the White Sox. He is owed $11.5 million in each of the next two seasons, then can become a free agent.

“I’ve been kind of a power pitcher for most of my career, a fly ball pitcher,” Vazquez said. “Coming to a stadium like Atlanta, which plays fair, is a little bit better ballpark to pitch in than Chicago. I think that’s probably going to help me.”

White Sox general manager Ken Williams said the trade was part of his team’s effort to bring in young players. He said he was obviously “watching the dollars, but this deal was motivated by a continued desire to transition into a new core.”

The Braves have made starting pitching their major focus of the offseason. John Smoltz and Tom Glavine are both in their 40s and coming off arm operations, and Tim Hudson is not expected back until late in the season after undergoing elbow ligament replacement surgery.

surgery.

Atlanta pursued Padres ace Jake Peavy, who still hasn’t been traded, and had hoped to re-sign injury-prone Mike Hampton before he completed a deal with Houston this week.

“Especially after I started hearing rumors a while back, I guess I was expecting a move. I was glad it was here to Atlanta. This has always been one of my favorites,” Vazquez said.

The Braves are still looking for at least one more front-line pitcher, and free agent A.J. Burnett is now their top target. They are among the teams that have made an offer to the right-hander.

“That would be awesome,” Vazquez said. “Any team would like to have him.”

Logan was 2-3 with a 5.95 ERA in 55 appearances with the White Sox in 2008. He has a 4-4 record with a 5.87 ERA in 144 games over three seasons with Chicago.

The 6-foot-4, 248-pound Flowers, who is 22, gained attention when he hit 12 homers in 20 games in the Arizona Fall League. He batted .288 with 17 homers at Class A Myrtle Beach last season.

Williams stated, “I think this guy will be an All-Star catcher,” and the White Sox had no intention of switching him to a different position. He throws the ball really well and is quite agile behind the plate for his size. He will be a fantastic offensive catcher as well as a reliable defensive catcher behind the plate, in my opinion.”

Lillibridge hit .200 in 80 at-bats with Atlanta last season. He spent most of the season with Triple-A Richmond, batting .220.

Gilmore, a third baseman, batted .294 with four homers and 35 RBIs in 94 games with Advanced Rookie Danville and Class-A Rome in 2008.

The 6-foot-5 Rodriguez was 1-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 14 relief appearances with the Gulf Coast League Braves in 2008.

Williams said he didn’t foresee another major deal as he heads off to the winter meetings, which begin Monday in Las Vegas.

Earlier this offseason, the White Sox dealt Nick Swisher and right-hander Kaneoka Texeira to the New York Yankees for pitching prospect Jeff Marquez, infielder Wilson Betemit and minor league pitcher Jhonny Nunez.

The White Sox also hope to finalize a deal with young Cuban star Dayan Viciedo.

Vazquez’s departure could leave Mark Buehrle, Clayton Richard, Gavin Floyd, and Marquez in Chicago’s starting lineup. Jose Contreras, a seasoned right-hander, recently suffered an Achilles rupture.

“We have a group of talented, seasoned players that deliver year after year. Williams stated, “As I sit here right now, I don’t see any other movements with any of our other veteran players.” He also mentioned that he will be more of a listener than an aggressive during the winter meetings.