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Minor Moves: Shane Lindsay, Daryl Jones

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Here are Saturday's minor moves…

  • The White Sox have signed Shane Lindsay according to the MLB.com transactions page. The 27-year-old right-hander signed with the Cubs last month but only made three appearances in their farm system before being released. Lindsay has allowed eight runs in six career big league innings, all coming with the ChiSox last year.
  • The Reds have released Daryl Jones according to the International League transactions page. The 25-year-old outfielder hit .187/.282/.363 in 104 Triple-A plate appearances this season. Baseball America ranked Jones as the fourth best prospect in the Cardinals system prior to the 2010 season.

Phillies Shopping Thome To DH-Needy AL Teams

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The Phillies are making Jim Thome available to American League teams in need of help at designated hitter, two AL executives tell ESPN's Jayson Stark.  Ruben Amaro didn't confirm that he was shopping the veteran slugger, but said "if there's a situation out there that benefits both Jim and the Phillies, we'll try to put something together."

"The ideal situation right now, because he can't really play defense in the National League, would be for Jim to play in the American League," Amaro said. "He still has the ability to win a game for us and be productive off the bench. The problem is, the further away he gets from regular at-bats, the more difficult it becomes for him to do that."

Thome spent a month on the DL with a back injury and is just 1-for-16 as a pinch-hitter for Philadelphia this season, but showed he can still produce with regular playing time, hitting .333/.415/.722 with four homers in 41 plate appearances while serving as the Phillies' designated hitter in interleague play.  This stretch convinced Thome that he is best suited as a DH and he has told the Phils that he would accept a trade to an AL team if a fit can be found.

Thome's friends say he would prefer to return to one of his former teams, but the Indians and White Sox have their DH spots filled and the Twins will be sellers instead of buyers at the trade deadline.  Among AL contenders, the Orioles stand out as having the clearest need for a DH, with the Rays (Luke Scott has struggled and Hideki Matsui hasn't produced much) and Rangers as darkhorse candidates, though Thome would be expendable in Texas once Mitch Moreland returns from the DL in August.

White Sox Designate Will Ohman For Assignment

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THURSDAY: The White Sox announced that they officially designated Ohman for assignment.

WEDNESDAY: The White Sox are set to designate Will Ohman for assignment on Thursday, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).  The 34-year-old has a 5.84 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 24.2 innings of work this year.

Ohman inked a two-year deal with the ChiSox in January of last year worth $1.5MM in 2011 and $2.5MM this past season.  For his career, the left-hander owns a 4.23 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 across ten big league campaigns.  Ohman's performance against the Twins this afternoon likely prompted the move as he allowed three runs in two innings of work.

Morosi On Greinke, Brewers, Kotsay

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It'll be a surprise if Zack Greinke is pitching for the Brewers after the July 31st trade deadline, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. Here are some more details from Morosi, starting with the Brewers right-hander:

  • Greinke didn't offer much detail on his contract talks with the Brewers — “I don’t know anything about that. I’m not really talking about it" — but the Brewers are preparing to trade him if an extension isn't possible. 
  • Morosi is almost certain the Brewers will be sellers and notes that the Braves, Dodgers, Cardinals, Orioles, White Sox and Indians would like to upgrade their rotations. Morosi adds that the Rangers, Angels and Yankees had scouts at Greinke’s most recent start. Greinke, a free agent after the season, figures to obtain a qualifying from the Brewers this fall if he stays in Milwaukee. No other team can obtain draft pick compensation for Greinke if he leaves as a free agent this offseason.
  • Mark Kotsay will be one of the most sought-after bench bats in summer trade talks, Morosi writes (Twitter links). The Padres have outfield depth in Carlos Quentin, Chris Denorfia, Cameron Maybin, Jesus Guzman and Will Venable.

Cubs, White Sox Both Pursuing Yasiel Puig

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Count the Cubs and White Sox among the teams who are interested in signing Cuban outfielder Yasel Puig, reports Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune. Both franchises have extensive experience with players hailing from Cuba.

The 21-year-old was officially declared a free agent on Tuesday and now has until July 2 to sign with a team to avoid new financial limitations put in place for international players. For the Cubs, signing international free agents out of Cuba is nothing new as the team recently agreed to terms with outfielder Jorge Soler on a nine-year, $30MM deal. On the South Side, the White Sox have a long-term relationship with Puig's agent, Jaime Torres, who has negotiated deals with the team in the past for players such as Jose Contreras and Alexei Ramirez. 

White Sox Release Kosuke Fukudome

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June 27: The White Sox officially released Fukudome on Tuesday, according to Aaron Gleeman of NBCSports.com.

June 22: The White Sox announced that they reinstated Kosuke Fukudome from the 15-day disabled list and designated the outfielder for assignment. They placed right-hander Philip Humber on the disabled list and purchased the contract of right-hander Brian Bruney in related moves.

The White Sox signed Fukudome to a one-year, $1MM contract with a club option for 2013 back in February. The 35-year-old appeared in 24 games for the White Sox and posted a .171/.294/.195 batting line in 51 plate appearances while playing all three outfield positions. The White Sox placed him on the 15-day disabled list with back spasms earlier this month.

Kevin Youkilis Trade Reactions

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The Red Sox agreed to send Kevin Youkilis and cash to the White Sox for Zach Stewart and Brent Lillibridge in a deal that was announced earlier today. The trade provides the White Sox with much needed stability at the hot corner and gives the Red Sox the opportunity to play Will Middlebrooks on a daily basis. Here are some reactions to the deal:

  • The emergence of Middlebrooks as a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate made a struggling Youkilis expendable in the eyes of the Red Sox front office, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal.
  • Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington told reporters, including MacPherson, that it was pretty clear Middlebrooks needed to be in the lineup every day (via Twitter).
  • The White Sox are getting a player in Youkilis who was an All-Star third baseman last season in exchange for cash and two replaceable players, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. 
  • The legacy of Youkilis was built upon his ability to will himself into a player who far exceeded his natural talents, says Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
  • The Indians, Dodgers and White Sox were the finalists for Youkilis as of Saturday evening, reports Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The White Sox separated themselves Sunday morning with the inclusion of Stewart in the trade.
  • By acquiring Youkilis, the White Sox are making the statement that the Tigers are vulnerable and not a guarantee to win the division, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • White Sox manager Robin Ventura expects Youkilis to be a strong fit with Chicago given how the veteran plays hard and has a reputation as a good teammate (video link).
  • A change of scenery for Youkilis may prove to benefit the former All-Star considering his strained relationship with manager Bobby Valentine and the series of injuries that kept him off the field, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.

White Sox Acquire Kevin Youkilis

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The White Sox have acquired Kevin Youkilis and cash from the Red Sox in exchange for pitcher Zach Stewart and utility player Brent Lillibridge, both teams announced. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com tweets the cash being exchanged is slightly more than $5.5MM.

Youkilis is hitting .225/.311/.359 in 41 games this season while appearing in 32 games at third base and 13 at first base. He will be an immediate updgrade at third base for the White Sox, who entered the day with a .466 OPS from the position, worst in baseball. Orlando Hudson has been manning third for the White Sox since Brent Morel landed on the disabled list. Hudson has produced a line of just .167/.247/.286 in his 27 games on the South Side.

Youkilis made his final appearance as a member of the Red Sox today going 2-for-4 with one run batted in. Youkilis was removed in the bottom of the 7th inning to a standing ovation from the Fenway Park faithful. This will not be his last game at Fenway, however, as the White Sox will play a series there on July 16-19.

Stewart, a right-hander, has appeared in 18 games, including one start, for the White Sox this year. Stewart has a 6.00 ERA, 4.8 K/9, and 1.2 BB/9 this season. The 25-year-old was acquired last year by the White Sox in the Edwin Jackson trade with the Blue Jays. Stewart will report to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Lillibridge has appeared in left field, center field, first base, third base, and designated hitter for the White Sox this year with a batting line of .175/.232/.190 in 48 games. Lillibridge is a .215/.283/.358 hitter during his five-year career with the White Sox and Braves. To make room on the 40-man roster for Lillibridge, the Red Sox designated left fielder Oscar Tejada for assignment.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com and ESPN's Jim Bowden first tweeted news of the trade. David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com was the first to report Stewart was going to Boston while Heyman broke Lillibridge's inclusion.

Kevin Youkilis Rumors: Sunday

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The trade chatter surrounding Kevin Youkilis picked up a ton of steam yesterday as the White Sox, Pirates, Indians, and Dodgers all seem to have interest in the third baseman.  As of late last night, it appeared that the White Sox were the frontrunner for the veteran with Pittsburgh in second.  Here's the latest on Youkilis with the most recent news up top..

  • Rob Bradford of WEEI.com tweets that a clubhouse source says Youkilis has been traded to the White Sox and his nameplate has been removed from his locker.
  • Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets the White Sox appear to be the most likely destination for Youkilis and, as of yesterday, the two teams were haggling over money. Knobler adds in a separate tweet that Youkilis is not headed to the Dodgers.
  • A deal for Youkilis is in the works, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Heyman adds late talks involved the White Sox, but new team is not yet confirmed. In a separate tweet, Heyman says the Indians are out of the running.
  • Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com tweets a source has confirmed that a deal for Youkilis is in the works, but "not complete." Youkilis was removed, to a standing ovation, in the 7th inning as a precaution.
  • Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers confirmed that he is not in on Youkilis, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
  • McAdam hears from a major league source that the Dodgers, White Sox, Indians, Braves, and a fifth team are in on Youkilis.  A second source says that the Pirates and Diamondbacks are no longer involved.  A source with knowledge of the talks indicated that Boston is focused on getting the best return available, whether its in the form of prospects or current major leaguers.
  • Youkilis is in today's lineup and a team source tells Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) that it's not indicative of one thing or another and a trade remains still in play.
  • The White Sox, Dodgers, and Indians are likely going to be amongst the final five teams for Youkilis, tweets Heyman.
  • The White Sox’s pursuit of Youkilis is more advanced than any other club’s and could be approaching the final stages, a major league source tells Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Sources say Boston is willing to include about $5MM of the nearly $8MM remaining on Youkilis’ contract in the trade.  As of late last night, the Indians appeared to be a “longshot,” the Dodgers’ talks were minimal, and the Pirates pulled out of the discussions, according to sources.

Kevin Youkilis Rumors: Saturday

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Yesterday we learned that the White Sox may be best positioned to swing a trade for Kevin Youkilis, who is losing playing time to rookie Will Middlebrooks. The Braves have scouted him in recent weeks though the Pirates are said to have little interest. Here are today's Youkilis rumors, with the latest up top…

  • The Pirates‬ are still interested in Youkilis, but the team is not confident in its chances of landing him, sources told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • Sources indicate that the Indians‬ are a longshot for Youkilis while the Dodgers‬ have had minimal contact with ‪ the Red Sox‬ today, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Signs point to ‪ the White Sox‬, ‪Pirates‬, or another club as the veteran's destination.
  • Angels GM Jerry Dipoto told reporters, including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) that he is "not involved with [Youkilis]."
  • The Indians have been the most serious bidder for Youkilis but the White Sox jumped into the mix yesterday, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Meanwhile, the Dodgers have maintained consistent interest.
  • A new source tells Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) that the Pirates are likely "out" on the veteran at this point.
  • The Braves are not in on the Youkilis discussions, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • The Dodgers are on the "fringe" of talks for Youkilis, reports Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The Pirates continue to be in the mix according to Rosenthal and Morosi (on Twitter).
  • Talks are described as "intense" according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. He says the Red Sox will pay a significant portion of the $7.5MM or so left on Youkilis' contract in any trade scenario.
  • The Rangers checked in on Youkilis at one point according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, but they are "not involved anymore." Texas was concerned that he would be unhappy in a part-time role.
  • The Pirates will not surrender a top prospect for Youkilis but they might offer a second tier guy if Boston eats most of his salary, reports Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter).
  • Red Sox team officials discussed potential roster moves in the wake of an impending Youkilis trade last night, reports Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. That could be an indication that a deal is close.
  • Boston will trade Youkilis "sooner rather than later" according to Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald. ESPN's Buster Olney says a deal could come down as soon as today.
  • The Red Sox are speaking with multiple clubs and continue to move closer to a deal, reports Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The ChiSox have engaged in "heavy dialogue" with Boston but the Dodgers remain in the mix as well. The Sox prefer to trade Youkilis to an NL club.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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