Youkilis, Red Sox Ink $41M, 4-Year Deal
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5 year veteran 1st baseman Kevin Youkilis and the Boston Red Sox inked a four-year, $41 million deal 3 days ago.
Youkilis had a break-out season in 2008 hitting 29 homers, driving in 115 runs and hitting .312 in 145 games for the BoSox batting clean-up behind either Mike Lowell, who was often injured and used as DH in 2008, or David Ortiz who was either injured or slumping for a large part of the season and who is generally the DH.
The 29-year-old gets a $1 million signing bonus, $6 million this year, $9,125,000 in 2010 and $12 million in each of the following two seasons. Boston has a $13 million option for 2013 with a $1 million buyout.
Youkilis…. made just four errors in 125 games at first base, where he won a Gold Glove in 2007, then switched to third when Mike Lowell was injured.
Youkilis holds the major league record of 238 straight games at first base without an error, a streak that ended last June.
He finished third in AL MVP voting in 2008, behind Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia and Minnesota first baseman Justin Morneau.
“Kevin has been a mainstay for us and a big part of our major league club through a lot of successful seasons and a big part of our future and we solidified that with this move today,” general manager Theo Epstein said.
Youkilis, who first achieved fame in the noted baseball book, ‘Moneyball,’ made his debut in Boston’s magical 2004 season, capped off with the first Red Sox World Series title in 86 years. However, the next season was the most trying of his career, as he was shuttled between Boston and Triple-A Pawtucket.
Youkilis boasts a career .289 BA and got 2 doubles in 9 AB in Boston’s 2007 World Series triumph and hit 3 homers in the ALCS as the Red Sox rallied from a 3 games to 1 deficit to defeat the Cleveland Indians.
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