The White Sox filled their worm hole of bad at third base. GM Kenny Williams pulled the trigger with Boston to acquire disgruntled and displaced 33 year old Kevin Youkilis and cash in exchange for pitcher Zach Stewart and utility player Brent Lillibridge. The cash component was the key for Boston to receive two major league ready players in exchange for an aging veteran with a history of back issues. Reports have the White Sox only taking on $2.5 to $3 in new salary with Youkilis.
Several local columnists have been on the Youkilis bandwagon for weeks before the trade. The tarot cards were clear: Youkilis was not getting along with new manager Bobby Valentine; the Red Sox club house was a mess; the Red Sox were losing; and a rookie had earned the starting third base job.
Youkilis, who is hitting .233 with four homers in 42 games, is leaving Boston with a chip on his shoulder — "he wants to prove some people wrong,'' Williams said.
The question remains whether Youkilis a) can stay healthy and b) perform better than the collective .167 BA, 1 HR 18 RBI third base corps the White Sox have had to patch together since Brent Morel's back injury. The White Sox 3b position ranked dead last in every offensive category. The pick up of middle infielder Orlando Hudson was a Hail Mary solution to the problem. It did not work.
So the White Sox had a desperate need at third and the Red Sox had a desperate need to get rid of potential problem in Youkilis. This deal makes sense.
The White Sox must know that they are getting a player on the downward slide of his career. Will he be like a Ron Cey or a Gary Gaetti, past Cub caretakers who ended their careers quietly in Chicago?
Zach Stewart could become a #5 starter if given a real chance. The White Sox had enough starting pitching at the beginning of the season to put Stewart in long relief. But with the emergence of rookie Quintana as the #6 starter, Stewart was ticketed back to AAA, even though the White Sox rotation is down two (Danks, Humber).
This transaction is one of those "it had hurt" deals. Neither side is expecting a gold mine result, but it has to be better than the status quo.
