Full Count
A Furiously Updated Red Sox Blog
WEEI.com Blog Network
RSS
Adam Dunn: ‘Change of scenery obviously kind of helped’ Kevin Youkilis 07.09.12 at 3:40 pm ET
By Alex Speier

Kevin Youkilis has helped the White Sox to a 9-4 record since being traded to Chicago (AP)

KANSAS CITY — The Red Sox didn’t have much choice but to trade Kevin Youkilis. Will Middlebrooks — before his hamstring injury — had shown enough that he deserved an opportunity to play in the big leagues everyday. Meanwhile, it was untenable to keep Youkilis in Boston as a part-timer, with the necessary lineup shuffling of Youkilis at first and third, Adrian Gonzalez at first and in right and Middlebrooks at third and on the bench, to continue with the roster logjam.

And so, the Red Sox parted with the struggling veteran in exchange for Brent Lillibridge and Zach Stewart, a utility infielder and a pitcher who offered some depth to the rotation. But while Youkilis had become an awkward spare part with the Red Sox, he’s quickly become an essential contributor with the White Sox. In 13 games since the June 24 trade, Youkilis is hitting .347 with a .418 OBP, .571 slugging mark and .990 OPS along with three homers — numbers roughly in line with his performance over his 2008-10 peak, when he hit .308/.404/.560/.964 as one of the best American League hitters for the Red Sox.

The White Sox understand that circumstances likely necessitated his departure from Boston. And they are immensely grateful for that development.

“I don’t know what happened in Boston — injuries, I know he was in and out of the lineup, I think every player in his career, whether it’s early, middle or late, kind of gets caught in that. As a White Sox, we don’t even care. We’re just happy we got him now, happy to have him because he’s come right over and done well right away,” said first baseman Paul Konerko, who is at the All-Star Game. “The biggest thing is he’s really good. Adding him at third, his bat to the lineup, just his production and what he does physically out there is the biggest thing. Obviously, he’s played in Boston, he’s a world champion, his grittiness and how he wants to go play the game everyday, that can only be good for the clubhouse. It’s already rubbing off, already showing and it’s only been two weeks, not even. But mainly he’s just a really good player.”

Fellow White Sox masher Adam Dunn suggested that Youkilis has very much been the same player who developed a reputation as one of the most tenacious hitters in the game.

“He’s done everything right and he’s done everything he can possibly do. Having great at-bats, getting on base, driving in all our runs, playing good defense. He’s been everything. He’s been really, really good,” said Dunn. “A guy like him, you don’t forget how to hit. You don’t forget how to get on base. You don’t forget how to have good at-bats. I think the change of scenery obviously kind of helped him a little bit.”

The White Sox do sense that a weight has been lifted from Youkilis, and that they are benefiting from a player who immediately achieved a sense of comfort in his new environment.

“I sense that anybody who plays in Boston or New York, when they go anywhere else, it’s easier,” said Konerko. “Any time I’ve played with a guy who’s been in one of those spots, it’s just a tougher place to play over there. Chicago’s not a picnic either, but compared to those places, those are the worst in terms of everything being under a microscope and just being very, very tough when you aren’t doing well or when things aren’t going exactly as planned.”

The White Sox are now 9-4 since the deal; the Red Sox are 5-9. It would be hindsight to suggest that trading Youkilis was a mistake — at the time, sentiment was virtually universal that a trade was in the best interests of all parties — but the absence of Middlebrooks’ right-handed thump, first via a slump and then due to injury, has made the absence of the longtime Red Sox corner infielder and three-time All-Star more dramatic.

Meanwhile, Chicago’s players are delighted with everything about the acquisition of the 33-year-old, who has been a significant contributor to the team’s first-place standing in the AL Central.

“Youk, being on the field, healthy, I don’t think anyone would doubt that he was going to do well,” said Konerko. “I think that’s the way the White Sox looked at it. Is he healthy? If the answer is yes and he can play, you’re going to get good things out of him. That’s all he’s ever done since he’s been in the big leagues. There’s no reason to think otherwise and that’s exactly what he’s doing.”

Print  |  Email  |  Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • manny

    another great move by the sox you trade Youk  for a couple of stiffs and still pay some of his contract, and then in one of the biggest series of the year the guy filling in for middlebrooks can’t throw the ball to first base..So this is why the sox will never be as good as the Yankees, when the yankees have an injury they put in a good ballplayer in some cases an all-star, like Jones. when the Red Sox need a fill in they put in a double A player or some waiver wire bum nobody wanted. there is a reason the sox have won only twice in 90 something years, they are a second class organization who makes blunder after blunder. It could be another 86 years before they win again

  • Douchey McDouche

    Why can’t we get players like that. 

  • http://twitter.com/NorbertoPaulino Norberto Paulino™

    Cherington has been making dumb moves left and right. At first I thought he would be a good GM but he has really left a bad impression.

  • Frustrated

    Cut the hypocrisy, guys. Nearly everyone on this site was calling for him to be shipped out. Some of you were even calling him Pukilis.

    This season I’m really losing respect for Red Sox fans. Too many nasty know-it-alls. How many of you would perform at your best with a mass of people publicly insulting and criticizing you after every game? We’re getting the team we deserve.

  • AL34

    Great Trade Young Ben ! Are youbsure you know what you are doing ? We are paying his contract too and you picked up two throwaways. Andrew Bailey and Sweeney for an allstar right fielder, great deal there. The Theo Compensation, you pik up a guy who needs are surgery, great deal after jerking about for about 5 months. You pick up Lilibridge , a guy who could not hit his weight, but he has options and can play any position, problem he cannot hit at all. You pick up Stewart a guy who has been with 4 organizations in 3 years, alarms going off in your head Ben ? They werebin my head when I heard that. The purpose of paying Youkillis to play elsewhere was to receive a better player in return. You received garbage and are paying the contract off. My daughter could have done a better job than you on that one !
    Hey Ben I have a Bridge thats for sale in New York, you want to buy it ?

  • Theo’s Diaper

    Right…paying for him to hit over .300 and win games for
    the CHISOX makes no sense.

  • AL34

    I would never have made that deal for the garbage he picked up and then paid off the contract as well. When I heard they were close with the White Sox I went in the organization report for the White Sox and checked their top 15 players. I was mortified when the deal went down and never heard of anyone Young Ben received in compensation for Kevin Youkillis.

  • Timmy T

    Not me, I thought they should’ve traded Middlebrooks when he was hot to try and nab a real ace starting pitcher.  Some sort of deal with say Middlebrooks, Ellsbury, and a top prospect or two for Felix Hernandez.  Ellsbury is from the northwest so there might have been a desire to sign, Middlebrooks would never be valued as high, and prospects are exactly that.  For the M’s, they get two major league ready pieces (possibly a third to make the deal) and some more to stock the farm.  The Sox get an ace who’s controllable for two and a half years and doesn’t have Boras attached to him.  Instead, they deal Youkilis for a bag of balls and pay them to take him.  Middlebrooks regressed to what should be his norm given his high BABIP and lack of plate discipline.  I am not saying Middlebrooks is suddenly a failure just that he is not the all-star everyone thinks he already is after a month of games.  He needed more AAA seasoning and now he won’t get it.

  • TF

    The Red Sox had to trade Youkilis.  As far as the package the Red Sox got, I don’t doubt that there were not a lot of people willing to offer much for various reasons.  1) Youkilis has not shown in 3 years that he can stay on the field.  2) Everyone else knew the Red Sox had to move him because by playing him they either were putting out a weaker lineup (either Middlebrooks or Gonzalez would sit), or going with a defensive lineup that was much weaker (Gonzalez to RF).  All this adds up to a buyer’s market and not a sellers.  The Red Sox took what they could get.  Middlebrooks going down was what really hurt.

    The simple fact of the matter is that for the most part the Red Sox offense hasn’t been the issue.  Health and starting pitching are the reasons why this teams sits at .500.  Back the train up to April 1st and what do you think their record would be at the All-Star break if I told you the following.

    1. Ellsbury wouldn’t play the entire 1st half.
    2. Crawford wouldn’t play the entire 1st half.
    3. Youkilis would be out a month.
    4. Bard would be a complete failure in the starting rotation and demoted to minors.
    5. Lester, Beckett, and Buchholz would combine for 46 starts, 287IP and 4.99 ERA.
    6. Pedroia has been injured and underperformed when playing.
    7. Bailey and Melancon would not play in the first half due to injuries and ineffectiveness early on.

    I guarantee everyone would be thrilled with a .500 record and 2-1/2 games back in Wild Card under that scenerio. 

  • Taylor

    Eli Manning v Pitt or Schaub v Buffalo

  • EricD

    Good Morning, Need 1 Flex:
    Felix Jones–Kenny Britt–Mike Williams–Stevie Johnson–Heyward Bey

  • Lilnada18

    I NEED HELP… PPR LEAGUE.. 100 RUSHING YARD BONUS.. PIERRE THOMAS OR MIKEL LESHOURE?

  • Terrell301

    j freeman or mike vick
    daniel thomas or donald brown

  • Modulus0826

    PPR league, Starting RB’s – Forte, Leshoure & Ballard.
    I need a RB off waivers for the rest of the season, not just this week…top prospects:
    Ronnie Brown
    Isaac Redman
    or Joique Bell (handcuff to Leshoure?)

  • Ruestlj

    Palmer or Rivers?

Red Sox Box Score
Red Sox Schedule
Baseball Analytics Blog
Red Sox Headlines
Red Sox Minor League News
Red Sox Team Leaders
MLB Headlines
Tips & Feedback

Verify