Youk says his goodbye to Sox fans earlier today. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
It finally happened. Kevin Youkilis has been shipped out of Boston, and is on his way to Chicago.
In return for Youk, the Red Sox are receiving two players. 25 year old righty, Zach Stewart. And 28 year old utility man, Brent Lillibridge. If you want to get excited about these two guys, whatever you do, don't look at their stats on the season. Just... just don't.
Lillibridge is expected to join the Sox and continue to do various utility-type things. As far as Stewart is concerned, Cherington said, "He's a good thrower and looks like he can be a major league starter. He just needs a little more time in the minors."
As far as Kevin Youkilis is concerned, this is by far the best thing for him. His time in Boston had clearly expired. He had a chance to earn his job back from Middlebrooks when he came off the DL earlier in the season, but just didn't have enough to do it. And with the way Middlebrooks has been playing as of late, Youk wasn't going to be sniffing the field too often. Now he gets a clean slate, and shifts to a franchise where he won't be under such a huge microscope.
And, from the sounds of it, it seems like he's ready to go.
"I just got off the phone with him, he's very excited to join our club and he's got a little edge to him that I like," White Sox general manager Kenny Williams said. "I can't tell you exactly what he said, but he wants to come in and prove some people wrong."
Good for Youk, and good for the White Sox. Also, good for the Red Sox. While they didn't exactly get anyone great in exchange for Youkilis, they shipped him off before he became a problem and got at least one player with a shot to have an impact on the club at some point.
Which, unfortunately, is more than we could say for Youk.
