By Fitzgerald Cecilio

Boston, MA

After days of speculation, the Boston Red Sox have finally traded veteran infielder Kevin Youkilis to the Chicago White Sox for right-handed pitcher Zach Stewart and utilityman Brent Lillibridge.

ESPN.com reported that Red Sox will pick up all but $2 million of what is owed to Youkilis and it will pay the White Sox $5.5 million to cover for his salary.

Last week, trade rumors started that the Red Sox were planning to unload Youkilis to give more playing time to emerging rookie Will Middlebrooks.

The deal wasn't announced until after the White Sox finished their game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Red Sox pulled out Youkilis in the seventh inning for a pinch-runner after he hit an RBI triple.

As he ran off the field, Youkilis raised his helmet high in the air with his left hand and blew kisses to the sellout crowd with his right.

When he reached the dugout, Youkilis was swarmed by teammates and was prodded by manager Bobby Valentine to accept the curtain call from fans. Valentine, with whom he has clashed since spring training, even stood on the top step and clapped.

"It worked out perfectly," Valentine said. "A minute before he was going to the batter's box, Ben called me down to the runway and said, 'There's a situation pending.' We said, 'OK, we'll do it the right way.' Someone was looking down because that's the right way."

Youkilis batted .286 with 133 home runs and 564 RBI in his nine seasons with the Red Sox. He was a three-time All-Star and finished third in the MVP voting in 2008 when the award was won by teammate Dustin Pedroia.

This season, Youkilis was batting only .233 and slugging .377 with a .315 on-base percentage, four homers and 14 RBI in 146 at-bats over 42 games.

"There is no way we are not a better team with Kevin Youkilis," White Sox captain Paul Konerko said when informed of the Youkilis trade. "He is just too good of a player and has been through all the wars and is still relatively a young guy. We just have to keep him on the field. If that is the case, it could be one of the bigger steals of the season."

Stewart has been a starter and a reliever in the majors, going 3-8 with a 5.92 ERA in 31 games (12 starts) for the White Sox over the past two seasons. He's 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in 18 appearances (one start) this year.

Lillibridge is batting .175 with two RBI in 48 games this season. A .215 career hitter, he has played every position except catcher during five seasons with the Braves and White Sox.

 

 

Red Sox Trade Kevin Youkilis to White Sox