White Sox Trade Kevin Youkilis After Fenway Last Tears

Kevin Youkilis nine career with the Boston Red Sox ended an emotional Sunday, when third baseman in tears saying goodbye to Fenway Park crowd was completed before his trade to the Chicago White Sox.

Youkilis was traded to the White Sox in exchange for creating prospect Zach Stewart and Brent Lilli Bridge utility player, according to the White Sox official familiar with the situation. The person who spoke with USA Today sports, in the condition of anonymity because the trade is not known.

The Red Sox will also be more than $ 5 million $ 7 million Youkilis other amounts due for the remainder of this season. Youkilis a free agent after this season, and it is a $ 1,000,000 purchase of a $ 13 million club option in 2013.

At Fenway Park on Sunday, Youkilis switching his hat, and blew kisses to the audience shed a few tears had him standing ovation after pinch runner Nick Punto in the seventh round 9-4 victory Sunday in Atlanta. He was mobbed by his teammates and even pushed out of the dugout for a curtain call to the Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine.

Amid rampant trade rumors and the undercurrent that Valentine might be pushing the longtime Fenway Park favorite all the way out of Boston, Youkilis got the full farewell treatment when he exited the game after tripling in his last at-bat as a Red Sox.

Valentine said after the game that he was told by general manager Ben Cherington just before Youkilis’ final at-bat to take Youkilis out of the game. Valentine said he couldn’t offer any more specifics.

When reporters entered the clubhouse after the game, the nameplate was gone from Youkilis’ locker had been cleaned out.

Playing third base, his primary position over his career, Youkilis had a single and a triple today, giving him 961 hits in nine seasons for the Red Sox, the only major league team he has played for. That raised his batting average for the season to .233, by far a career low for the 33-year-old.

The Youkilis trade rumors have reached beyond Boston. Chicago White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy addressed rumors his team could be involved in a deal.

Earlier in the day, Youkilis’ brother took a (parting?) shot at the Red Sox and Valentine, who created a mini-furor in April when he said he didn’t think Youkilis was playing up to his previous standards. Since then, rookie Will Middlebrooks has received increased playing time at third base and is batting .331. Scott Youkilis, who owns a San Francisco restaurant, tweeted “Bobby V is a joke” and “Chicago is a better town anyway.”