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What the Red Sox got for Youk: A look at Zach Stewart and Brent Lillibridge 06.24.12 at 7:08 pm ET
By Kevin Dillon

The Red Sox plan to develop Zach Stewart as a starter in Pawtucket. (AP)

The Red Sox acquired 25-year-old right-handed pitcher Zach Stewart and 28-year-old utility man Brent Lillibridge from the White Sox in return for Kevin Youkilis on Sunday. So who are they?

Stewart, who has spent most of this season as a reliever for the White Sox, is 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA with 16 strikeouts and just four walks through 30 innings pitched this year. Despite coming out of the bullpen in his first 17 appearances of the year, he made his only start of the season in his last appearance on June 18, lasting 5 2/3 innings and allowing six earned runs in a loss to the Cubs. He was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on June 19.

Before coming to the White Sox, Stewart was with the Blue Jays, an organization for whom he was rated the top prospect by Baseball America in 2009. In his only three appearances with the Blue Jays of his career (all as a starting pitcher), Stewart went 0-3 with 10 strikeouts and a 4.86 ERA. The sinkerballer has permitted a somewhat alarming home run total (21 in 97 1/3 innings) in his big league career, something of a surprise given his excellent groundball rates.

Stewart’s best start of his career came on September 5th of his rookie season, when he had a perfect game through seven innings against the Twins before allowing a hit to Danny Valencia. Stewart finished the game having only allowed one hit and recording nine strikeouts in the win.

Stewart, who was drafted by the Reds in the third round of the 2008 draft, is now with his fourth organization. As a prospect for the Reds, Stewart was traded along with Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Roenicke to the Blue Jays for Scott Rolen. Four days short of two years later, Stewart was traded with Jason Frasor for Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen.

“Stewart was a guy that we’ve liked for a while and we’re focused on. Ultimately, when they agreed to include him in the deal, that kind of pushed them to the forefront,” said Sox GM Ben Cherington. “We like the upside and the chance for him to be a controllable big league starter and we’ll get to know him better too just felt like this one was the right one for us.

“He’s a young pitcher who we believe can be a starter. We have scouted him since college, Texas Tech and through the Minor Leagues and he was a big part of the deal, their deal last summer. He’s been in the big leagues in the bullpen and we’re going to send him to Triple-A and let him pitch in the rotation there. We believe he can develop into a good Major League starter we want to get him back in to that role. He’s a big physical strong kid with three solid pitches, throws strikes, he’s had a good Minor League track record. He’s a guy that looks like a Major League starter and just needs a little bit more time at Triple-A to fine tune things. We’re excited and he’ll be a big part of our pitching depth moving forward.”

Stewart will report to Pawtucket following the trade, unlike Lillibridge who will join the Red Sox.

Lillibridge has only started 21 of his 48 games with the White Sox this season, and has a .175 batting average with four walks and 26 strikeouts through 70 plate appearances this season. Lillibridge also could serve as a pinch runner for the Red Sox, as he has totaled seven stolen bases in his nine attempts this season.

Last season, Lillibridge set career highs for the White Sox, batting .258 with a .340 OBP, .505 slugging mark, .845 OPS and 13 home runs in 216 plate appearances with Chicago. Against lefties, he owns a career line of .237/.286/.433/.718.

In his five-year major league career, Lillibridge has played at least 10 games at every position there is to play besides pitcher and catcher, and has a .974 fielding percentage.

Lillibridge is moving to his fourth organization as well, as he was drafted by the Pirates in the fourth round of the 2005 draft before being dealt to the Braves, where he played the first 29 games of his career. The White Sox acquired Lillibridge after his only season with the Braves in a package that sent Boone Logan and Javier Vazquez to the Braves.

“We got a player that will go right into our roster and help us, very versatile guy in Lillibridge who had a terrific last year and has been really good against lefties the last two years,” said Cherington. “He struggled some this year but very versatile, very athletic player, can play all infield positions, outfield, run the bases, dangerous hitter. We’ll get him here and try to get him going a little bit offensively.”

Here is a clip of Stewart throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for the White Sox:

And here is a clip of Lillibridge making a leaping catch against the wall:

Read More: Brent Lillibridge, Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox, Zach Stewart Print  |  Email  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/ZVFM2HRNC5CTO2OUXD4XTX65O4 Dennis

     Let’s see, so in the next month, we’ll have Crawford, Ellsbury, Ross, Nava, Kalish, Sweeney, MacDonald and Lillibridge as major league outfielders? Um that’s 8, and the Sox normally carry 6 at most. And………………

  • Paul

    Cherington is on dope…

    he should be fired

  • bob

    make you wonder how bad Youk was in the cluhouse.  They certainly didn’t get much for him  

  • Bielawski82

     Zack Stewart and Brent Lilibridge??? Thanks a lot Ben Cherington… I hope you know something about these guys I don’t!

  • Wily Mo Pena

    Sounds like the Sox got another Carmine guy for Youk. Who has underachieved in every organization he’s played for.

  • jarvisgrislore

    If this was the best they could get for Youk…jeez…how far a player’s value has fallen.  Essentially…a bucket of baseballs. 

  • Tbrothers88

    Dumping salary!

  • RobDX

     And that is why Kalish and McD is gone.

  • JeffL

    First of all, Kalish is going nowhere. He is in the team’s long-term plans. Secondly, it is ridiculous to criticize Ben Cherington for this deal. The reason the Sox needed to trade Youk is addition by subtraction. He was creating tension with his situation, Middlebrooks needs to play every day and Gonzalez needs to be at first base every day (where he is a Gold Glover). Youk had little trade value. Getting a useful utility player (which Lillibridge is) and a former top prospect who has upside (who could realize it finally with the Red Sox, like Andrew Miller) is a good haul for a broken down, veteran like Youk. And, since the Sox are reportedly paying only $5 million of the remaining $8 million left in his salary, that frees up more money for trade deadline deals, and every million counts since the ownership group does not want to dramatically exceed the luxury tax threshold. Trades aren’t always about who you get back in return. For the Sox to climb up the standings, Middlebrooks needs to be the every day third baseman.

  • Encourage

    Well I think it was time to go. But in return nothing. Sox really have crap record if turning pitchers around

  • Encourage

    I agree on the outfielders lets see we need put Crawford in there to bat 40 points below avg. maybe he can get another injury and be out the crest if the year. Well I can hope.

  • Guest

    Andrew Miller has become a reliable reliever = “turned around.”  Lillibridge can play the infield – that’s his value, not the outfield.  And he can pinch-run.  They got what they could – they had no leverage.  And see JeffL’s comment, too. 

  • otis

    I know, right? I mean why didn’t they trade Youk for Justin Verlander? Maybe Cherington doesn’t know that if you hit the “X” button three times in a row, it will accept any trade proposal. 

  • Hesher

    Nah Ben Cherry should have traded Youk for Verlander, Prince Fielder, and Miguel Cabrera….What a moron Cherry is huh? 

  • Jcandora

     When all the OFers are back healthy……Kalish goes back to Paw.  MacDonald is DFA and Sweeney and Ross platoon in RF.
    Kalish has done nothing to prove he’s ready for the majors right now. If they carry another OFer it would be Nava, not Kalish, (Lillibridge plays a great OF and also plays the infield. (So, if I was Punto, I would be concerned too)

  • josh reddick

    What do you expect from a mickey mouse organization like the sox? Lackey, dice-K, Smotlz, Penny, Gagne, Crawford, Renteria, not to mention some of the trades they have made. They gave this guy away for nothing, let the Sox spin begin

  • josh reddick

    Chicago has a better chance at the playoffs then Boston, he will have a good second half on that team.

  • http://www.facebook.com/colleen.stearns.3 Colleen Stearns

    make him get a haircut we had enough of manny

  • warmwinds

    you know, when we got Andrew Miller he was a total under-achiever.  Granted, Miller isn’t a star but he’s pretty good coming out of the pen.  If Stewart is able to harness his command, he could be a major league starter.

  • 2loose

    Let’s see now…they got these guys AND ate most of Youk’s contract?
    Not good Ben. I’m not a major league GM, but I believe the Red Sox got robbed in this transaction.
    Either they should have held out for better prospects or Chicago assumes all of Kevin’s salary…NOT BOTH.

  • AL34

    Bob
    Good point, thats what I was thinking about as well. Because Young Ben Cherrington got robbed like he usually does when he makes a trade. A pitcher with his 4th organization in 3 years is a problem and the other guy is hitting a solid .175. Great job Ben just like the Theo Comoensation, picking up a pitcher who needs elbow surgery, another score, Ben. Maybe we are better off getting Kramer from the show Seinfeld make a deal, he could not do any worse.

  • Anonymous

    Time will tell… maybe

  • Dcmsox2004

    well, they are ballplayers, have a pulse, but, this is all the front office could broker for youk… sad, oh so sad to see his value deteriorate so steeply…  thanks for the many wonderful memories…

  • Tito F.

    Well at least we know that John Henry and the gang didn’t complete the trade to finance another version of No No Nanette!  

    John Henry is no George Steinbrenner !!!!!!!

  • Frozenrope26

     You forgot Lugo and Jenks. But being realistic, the Youkilis of two or more years ago isn’t walking through that door. Looking at his numbers there has been serious decline the last 2 seasons, his bat speed is down, and he is getting hurt a lot. Good luck to Youk, but the future is Middlebrooks, and with Youk here it only muddies the waters as to who gets playing time. Youk brooding, his clique’ brooding, Middlebrooks uncertain, this clears things up and the team can move forward. This team IS making the playoffs, not Chicago. The guy who worries me the most and the is key, is Lester…..

  • Wayno

    Why couldn’t Youk take one for the TEAM. Isn’t it all about winning ? He should be the utility guy, 1b- 3b- DH- PH…He should start at least 1 game per week at each position. Everyone would be fresh and healthy for the long haul.Plus injuries can pop up at any second so I think this whole situation has been bungled by EVERYONE involved !

  • Micasali

    I bet he knows a lot more than you

  • Shennessey

    Last time i looked chicago was in first and the sox are near the cellar

  • http://twitter.com/Duncapedia DC

    What were you expecting? A top prospect for an unpopular clubhouse guy who is undergoing a meteoric decline? Obviously we got the best return we could, or this wouldn’t have been the trade. Lillibridge will probably help this team more in the long run than Youk would have because of his speed and versatility… two things which an aging Youk is lacking. In terms of the Theo compensation; again, what were you expecting? The ownership made the mistake of not concretely defining “significant” compensation… Ben did the best he could. Kurcz and Carpenter both have the ability to be solid bullpen guys. Not a bad return for a GM who you were probably eager to see leave town.

  • Soxpatsfan4ever

    Got what they could? Oh brother!
    Two things management is a bunch of idiots because they believe this tripe or they think the Nation is a bunch of idiots who will believe this tripe about being excited to get two players that will never see the field.
    Couldn’t they have just said : middlebrooks is playing so well and we are so proud of all Kevin has done for the organization we wanted to give him an opportunity to play everyday for a contending team

  • 123456789

    dumb, very dumb – it’ll be a while before they climb out of this hole and dont see it happening with the current managers – boo hoo for the sox for now

  • 123456789

    stewart looks like bv-he’s going to get his own rs team and it won’t be pretty

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