The Red Sox transferred Kevin Youkilis to the White Sox

The Boston Red Sox have traded infielder Kevin Youkilis to the White Sox for application man Brent Lillibridge and right-hander Zach Stewart. Sportsbook

The AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox, who also received cash in the agreement, have been searching for a 3rd baseman because Brent Morel has been plagued by back problems.

The Red Sox will absorb all but $2 million of the $7.8 million still owed to Youkilis, sources recounted.

“There is no way we aren’t a better team with Kevin Youkilis,” White Sox captain Paul Konerko said. “He is just too good of a player and has been through all of the wars and is still comparatively a young guy. We just have to keep him on the field. If that is the case, it may be one of the larger steals of the season.”

Will Middlebrooks’ emergence in Boston made Youkilis expendable after a successful 8½-year run with the Boston Red Sox. The versatile All-Star, who can play both corner infield areas, is a job .286 hitter with 133 homers and 563 RBIs.

“I think we were attempting to find a solution that worked for everyone,” Red Sox GM Ben Cherington asserted. “Kevin’s been a common player since he’s been here, and with the way Middlebrooks has been playing, Middlebrooks should be in the lineup. That is pretty obvious.”

Middlebrooks is hitting .326, and his sacrifice fly in a 9-4 win over the Atlanta Braves gave him 34 RBIs in his 1st41 games, the most by an American League player in his 1st 41 games since Wally Joyner had 39 in 1986.

Youkilis has been hampered by a variety of injuries the past 2½ seasons. He missed 3 weeks previously this season with back pain and was restricted to 120 games in 2011 and 102 in ‘10.

“We were given a good health on him,” White Sox GM Kenny Williams declared. “He said he hasn’t felt this good physically for a long time. He announced he is really excited to join our club and he has a little bit of edge to him, which I like. I can’t tell you exactly what he announced, but he would like to come in and prove a few individuals wrong.”

Youkilis, who’d been held out of the lineup for 3 straight days, started at 3rd base and hit 6th against the Braves. When he left the game for a pinch runner after hitting a triple in the base of the 7th inning, he got a long-standing ovation, blew a kiss to the sellout crowd at Fenway Park and hugged his squad.

Youkilis finished the game 2-for-4 and was 6-for-14 in his last 4 games with the Red Sox. He leaves Boston Red Sox with a .287 career average and 133 home runs in 953 career games. He used to be a member of the 2004 and ‘07 championship teams, a three-time All-Star and a Gold Glover at 1st base.
His exit leaves David Ortiz as the sole member of the 2004 championship team still with the Red Sox.