Youk to White Sox

[seabeachfred]

This trade was NOT about getting equal value.

 

This trade was about getting this team in a position to gain some consistency and be able to put the best team on the field every single night. It was about not having to juggle Gonzalez, Middlebrooks, and Youkilis every single night.

 

And do you think that maybe, just maybe, now that there is some consistency in the lineup, Gonzalez can start to hit like we know he can?? Because maybe we should consider that when trying to figure out what kind of a return the Sox got with Youkilis.

 

Well said Forsyth. This constant shuffling of our lineup and positioning of players wasn't doing us any good and I'm convinced that mentally it was playing havoc with Gonzales. Now we can have set lineup and everyone know where they are playing---with one caveat.......that we don't sustain any major injuries to our key players.

 

There is another consideration I haven't heard much of on this thread. We assume that teams were lining up to trade for Youkilis and that is pure ********!!!! His market was small and even the puny hitting Dodgers with James "Pencil Neck" Baloney considered that bum more valuable than to trade for Kevin. I just wonder if there was another team that we could have traded him to. Barring unforseen circumstances this trade will give us some continuity that we didn't have before.

[SCM33]

Well said Forsyth. This constant shuffling of our lineup and positioning of players wasn't doing us any good and I'm convinced that mentally it was playing havoc with Gonzales. Now we can have set lineup and everyone know where they are playing---with one caveat.......that we don't sustain any major injuries to our key players.

 

There is another consideration I haven't heard much of on this thread. We assume that teams were lining up to trade for Youkilis and that is pure ********!!!! His market was small and even the puny hitting Dodgers with James "Pencil Neck" Baloney considered that bum more valuable than to trade for Kevin. I just wonder if there was another team that we could have traded him to. Barring unforseen circumstances this trade will give us some continuity that we didn't have before.

 

If this is Gonzalez's problem (which is most likely not) then we are screwed for the life of the contract.

 

Fragile psyche's dont last here.

 

Gonzalez's problems are physical. Hes not making adjustments.

[db41]

For some unknown reason, I actually read every post in this thread. I don't have much to add other than to say the Youk was one of the first Red Sox players my daughter got to know. We watch every game together and have chanted in harmony, "Youuuuuk," countless times. It's the end of an era. I truly hope that he goes on a tear and that we regret this trade.

 

Everyone all in on young Middlebrooks? Wonder what the chatter will be when he slumps, which he inevitably will.

[Red Foreman]

For some unknown reason, I actually read every post in this thread. I don't have much to add other than to say the Youk was one of the first Red Sox players my daughter got to know. We watch every game together and have chanted in harmony, "Youuuuuk," countless times. It's the end of an era. I truly hope that he goes on a tear and that we regret this trade.

 

Everyone all in on young Middlebrooks? Wonder what the chatter will be when he slumps, which he inevitably will.

 

I don't like the trade but I am all in on Middlebrooks. All players have slumps at some time and if he goes through one it will just have to be weathered.

[Red Foreman]

I cannot believe people are actually fearful of --->Youk

 

lmao.

 

Why? They are getting no production from 3B right now and he has a lot of potential to greatly improve on that. To say this guy is done is nonsense. He may be but it's silly to assume it.

[Red Foreman]

We were getting better value from the AL team.

 

We got no value and paid the bulk of his salary.

[Red Foreman]

Okay. Let me ask you this. You're against this because it makes one of our possible competitors better. What if lillibridge turns into his 2011 self? What if Stewart can find some heat back on his fastball and give us some decent innings out of the back end of the rotation and take dice K's spot? Is there no possibility or a lower possibility of this trade helping us just as much if not more than it helps Chicago?

 

I'd put my money om Youk to return to form before either of these two producing. The Red Sox are paying all of them and the best bet is Youk IMO. Coup for the Chisox.

[RedSoxNC84]

I wonder if Lillibridge can pitch.... Maybe then we could finally get rid of McDonald.

[db41]

I don't like the trade but I am all in on Middlebrooks. All players have slumps at some time and if he goes through one it will just have to be weathered.

 

Yes Red, but you are a "sane" RS fan from the sounds of it. Mark my words, the first time young Middlebrooks puts up an 0-20 streak there will be folks lamenting this "trade" (if that's what you can call it.)

[Bellhorn04]

Yes Red' date=' but you are a "sane" RS fan from the sounds of it. Mark my words, the first time young Middlebrooks puts up an 0-20 streak there will be folks lamenting this "trade" (if that's what you can call it.)[/quote']

 

There will always be some people whining, but most of the fans here are pretty smart and already realize Middlebrooks will have a slump at some point.

[ibot2much]

Pull up some of the Chicago newspapers and see what they think about the deal. WS fans are thrilled with the "robbery" they pulled off on the RS

[example1]

White sox fans should be happy. Due to a strange confluence of events they got a good deal. It's strange. The Sox saved maybe 2m and got a small return of potential MLB contributors, for a guy they would have released after this season anyway.

 

I don't think Youk is washed up. It was a move that had to be made for the sox, but CWS may be the long term winner.

[a700hitter]

White sox fans should be happy. Due to a strange confluence of events they got a good deal. It's strange. The Sox saved maybe 2m and got a small return of potential MLB contributors, for a guy they would have released after this season anyway.

 

I don't think Youk is washed up. It was a move that had to be made for the sox, but CWS may be the long term winner.

White Sox GM, Williams said that he couldn't repeat what Youkilis said but he is apparently chomping at the bit to prove some people wrong-- most probably Bobby V. Just what we need is for him to be motivated to stick it to us. That would be hard to do from the NL.

[Dojji]

Oh give it a rest, a700. We heard you 15 pages ago. You're being ridiculously paranoid here.

[a700hitter]

Oh give it a rest' date=' a700. We heard you 15 pages ago. You're being ridiculously paranoid here.[/quote']How many pages have we had to listen to you about Daniel Nava since 2010? We will see how well our pitchers handle Kevin Youkilis in a couple of weeks.

[a700hitter]

Pull up some of the Chicago newspapers and see what they think about the deal. WS fans are thrilled with the "robbery" they pulled off on the RS

From the Chicago Tribune:

 

Steal spotlight: Youkilis deal a no-brainer

Sox get a bargain that could put them in postseason

 

Phil Rogers On Baseball

9:15 p.m. CDT, June 24, 2012

 

No-brainer.

 

That's one way to describe the White Sox's trade for Kevin Youkilis.

 

Potential difference-maker.

 

That's another way.

 

By filling their biggest hole with one of the most respected third basemen in baseball, the White Sox may have just bargained their way into the playoffs.

 

Sure, it's not as simple as that. The Tigers and even the Guardians will have a run in them at some point. But even with their third basemen batting a combined .167 (23 points lower than the Nationals' pitchers), the White Sox were the deepest, most balanced team in their division, and over 162 games that counts for a lot.

 

Youkilis isn't having a good year. He's been in a funk since spring training, when he realized that manager Bobby Valentine and GM Ben Cherington saw top prospect Will Middlebrooks as big-league ready, not a year away. His back makes him a health risk.

 

But all that said, adding him without subtracting key parts — for tomorrow, as well as for today — makes this the best trade Ken Williams has made since he added Freddy Garcia from the Mariners in 2004.

 

Because there was no way for Youkilis and Middlebrooks to coexist at Fenway Park, I've been pushing for the White Sox to do this deal for a month, when Middlebrooks established himself while Youkilis was on the disabled list. The Sox are getting a run-producer who grinds out at-bats, and they had to give up only guys who added depth, not someone like Matt Thornton or a prospect like Tyler Saladino or Charles Leesman.

 

Oh, and the Red Sox were so motivated to clear the decks that they are sending along a reported $5.5 million, which leaves the White Sox paying only about $2 million of Youkilis' $12 million salary.

 

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 — and coming to a team where he will be one of the boys. He joined Jake Peavy and Adam Dunn on Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and will have plenty in common with guys like Paul Konerko, A.J. Pierzynski and Alex Rios.

 

"Every report you ever hear, he's a good teammate,'' White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "He plays hard. He's a pro. We have a room full of guys like that, so I think he'll fit in just fine."

 

Youkilis works at-bats the same way Konerko does. He goes to the plate with a plan of attack and adjusts from pitch to pitch, the way the best hitters do. His bat speed might have slowed since he helped the Red Sox win two World Series, but he's smart enough to adjust.

 

Now that Julio Franco is retired, there's no hitter I like watching more than Youkilis. He's got his unique style of hitting, splitting his hands a foot apart — maybe even 18 inches — as the pitcher goes into his windup and then bringing them together as the pitch is thrown. You wouldn't teach your Little Leaguer to hit that way, but it works for Youkilis.

 

With Youkilis on board, Orlando Hudson can move into the utility role that he's suited for (although he's not going to like it much). I'd send Eduardo Escobar to Triple A so he can play every day and continue his development, although his game-winning hit on Sunday suggests he's handling the bench role just fine.

 

There's nothing not to like about this trade. Williams didn't overpay to get Youkilis, and Jerry Reinsdorf signed off on the extra payroll.

 

Will Reinsdorf pay up again in a month, this time for more pitching? Don't rule it out. But Williams is going to have trouble finding a deal that was this one-sided.

 

progers@tribune.com

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/ct-spt-0625-rogers-youkilis-chicago--20120625,0,6808460.column

[Dojji]

How many pages have we had to listen to you about Daniel Nava since 2010? We will see how well our pitchers handle Kevin Youkilis in a couple of weeks.

 

Even if he bounces back, he's just one more pretty good hitter.

 

As for Nava, I think our current starting LF and one of the best leadoff men in the league at the moment is a fair topic for conversation. More so than a once-good player who's been divorced from the team in all but fact for this entire season.

[SemperFi Sox]

I think Youk went right down the tunnel because he was about to lose it. Looked like he was going to cry hugging Pedroia.

[a700hitter]

Even if he bounces back, he's just one more pretty good hitter.

 

As for Nava, I think our current starting LF and one of the best leadoff men in the league at the moment is a fair topic for conversation. More so than a once-good player who's been divorced from the team in all but fact for this entire season.

He got traded yesterday. I think he is still a current topic of conversation. If you don't like me discussing the trade, hit another thread.

[jung]

It is to bad but I actually think some of what we saw in the very last days was a forewarning not to try to keep Youk while playing WMB. If Youk would have tolerated it, that would have been best for the Sox but I think that the message in Youk's latest behavior was that he was "tolerating" this situation as long as the Sox were making every effort to get him outta' here but that he would have turned sour riding Boston's pine if the plan went from trying to trade him to trying to keep him. Maybe at the end of the day we should thank Youk for that warning.

 

An unhappy Youk is not a pleasant thing to see and regardless of what he did here playing out the year, the Sox were not going to try to keep him next year. So the CWS are the beneficiaries. Somebody was going to benefit...at least Youk landed in a place with a team trying to make a run.

 

I think Youk does have something left but not much. The risk was just to great that trying to access what was left would turn into a real mess here...one where the Sox would be left just releasing him in which case anybody could pick him up and the Sox would still be paying him.

 

So wish him well. Youk did everything the Sox asked of him and likely hastened his physical decline in the process. For the life of me I cannot find a reason to complain about Youk but I don't see in him the kind of potential to even be a successful DH somewhere. Youk lived at the plate off having one of the best batting eyes in the business. Clearly something has changed there. He is back to being more selective again but in reality his ability to process the information one pitch to the next has seemed in decline. I even think Youk realized it and began an effort to turn himself into more of a slugging percentage kind of guy. I really don't think that is going anywhere either. Maybe his ability to turn on the ball has changed so much that he has to decide earlier than ever whether to swing or not and maybe that is really what has changed for Youk.

 

Will Youk remain a major leaguer? I absolutely think he will. However it is rare for a player to make the kinds of changes Youk is going to go through while remaining with the team where he was a star.

[kapsis21]

he might play well against us, but he might no longer be the .900 OPS guy when playing the rest of the league.

[a700hitter]

he might play well against us' date=' but he might no longer be the .900 OPS guy when playing the rest of the league.[/quote']If anyone thought he could still be a .900 OPS guy, they would have been insane to give him away for what they got.

[SemperFi Sox]

I didn't want him to play yesterday of fear of injury...but it was the right send off.

[kapsis21]

If anyone thought he could still be a .900 OPS guy' date=' they would have been insane to give him away for what they got.[/quote']

 

yes but he wasnt performing to his par and with Middlebrooks raking there was added pressure on him. he might do well knowing no one else is knocking on the door down at 3b over at Whitesox

 

I didn't want him to play yesterday of fear of injury...but it was the right send off.

 

agreed!

[FredLynn]

I don't like the trade but I am all in on Middlebrooks. All players have slumps at some time and if he goes through one it will just have to be weathered.

 

If you are "all in on Middlebrooks", where was Youkilis going to play? Left field?

[jung]

If anyone thought he could still be a .900 OPS guy, they would have been insane to give him away for what they got.

 

CWS can revel if they wish. It was the right move for them to make regardless of where Youk's OPS lands. Realistically, those days are past him. Youk is still an improvement for the CWS where they have had a glaring hole.

[MANNYHOF24]

I think if Youk gets his mind right and his body gets a little healthier there is no reason why he couldn't be a .800-.850 OPS guy for the white sox for the next couple of years. Youk hasn't really had the opportunity to get into a rythm all year long, with the initial injury and all of the Bobby V controversy and trade talk. He OPS'd .833 last year, and for a big chunk of the season (may-july) he was over .900. Youk was a big part of why the Red Sox were the best team in baseball during the middle of the season last year, I think that gets overlooked.

 

It's too bad how fast his career seemingly fell apart though. He had MVP type years in 2008 and 2009, followed by a start to 2010 which was better than the previous two years (.975 OPS). Then he injured his thumb, and he has been nagged by injuries ever since.

 

Farewell Youk, your lineup presence and passion for the game will be missed.

[MANNYHOF24]

CWS can revel if they wish. It was the right move for them to make regardless of where Youk's OPS lands. Realistically' date=' those days are past him. Youk is still an improvement for the CWS where they have had a glaring hole.[/quote']

 

You might be right, although there is still a good chance that he could turn it on for a few months a be a huge pickup for the white sox. Don't forget how good Youk was May-July last year. He was over .900 OPS for that stretch. That isn't too long ago. I think a big reason for his drop in performance was because he was trying to do too much at the plate. He needed to prove himself, and fight for his job. Youkilis has always been patient, but I think it must be hard being patient at the plate, while constantly looking over your shoulder wondering when you might be replaced.

[jung]

I tend to look at what the player himself is doing or trying to do and put some stock in that when trying to determine where he might be going.

 

It has looked to me like Youk as a player has been trying to become less of a BA kind of hitter and more of a SLG kind of guy. Then looking at what he has been doing at the plate, it appears that either he is having some difficulty reading pitches as well as he once did or knows his quickness with the bat is in decline forcing him to commit to swing earlier than he has in the past. The latter would mean that his eye at the plate is as good as it has ever been but he is unable to get the bat going like he used to. The former would mean that he just cannot process pitch information as well as he used to. The latter is more likely than the former and really a combination of the two is just as likely as anything.

 

At any rate, I think it unlikely that his recent performance is an aberration and am more inclined to see it as a trend that might be interrupted by occasional signs of his past glories but not more than that.

 

Then you add that one of his injury issues is his back and you really do have a player that is going to go through a good deal just to stay in the ML, let alone play at a big salary level. An 800 OPS could be in range for him though at least in stretches.

[v2freak]

Without the benefit of having read through all 6 pages of very angry posts, I'm going to predict Youk hits .280 with the White Sox for the rest of the year. It may be enough to help them to the playoffs and/or it may be enough to screw us over.