Baseball Archive
Brian Cashman has preached all season that he is happy with his team’s roster, and probably was going to be quiet on the trade front this year.
We all should know better.
The Yankees general manager has pulled off another blockbuster. He has acquired Japanese legend Ichiro Suzuki from the Seattle Mariners for minor-league pitchers D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar. He has yet again made headlines, More importantly, he has shored up the outfield for the Evil Empire.
Kevin Youkilis has long embodied the very essence of the Boston Red Sox. An underdog, a fighter; these are the things that spring to mind when you hear his name. As of yesterday, he is a member of the BoSox no longer, having been traded to Chicago and the AL Central-leading White Sox.
His tenure in Beantown ended in storybook fashion: a triple, followed by a curtain call and a standing ovation from the Fenway faithful. In the seventh inning manager Bobby Valentine was informed of the trade, and that marked the last inning for Youkilis. He was dealt to the ChiSox in exchange for utility-man Brent Lillibridge and pitcher Zach Stewart.
It didn’t have to end this way.