CLEVELAND -- Kevin Youkilis says he enjoyed his time with the Chicago White Sox, and that his family will come first in deciding where he plays next season.
Set to become a free agent, the 33-year-old third baseman hit .236 with 15 homers and 46 RBIs in 80 games for the White Sox after being acquired from Boston on June 25.
Youkilis said Wednesday before the season finale against the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night that being traded taught him baseball is a business.
"Sometimes it's out of your control," he said. "That's part of the big game and I learned that this year."
Youkilis found a lot of positives playing for the White Sox, who led the AL Central for 117 days, but were eliminated Monday when Detroit won the division.
"I've enjoyed it," he said. "I've had a lot of fun. My family from Cincinnati has come up and watched, but the future ... who knows what's going to happen?"
Youkilis discovered some contrasts between playing in Boston and Chicago.
"There are little things here and there that are way different in a lot of ways," Youkilis said. "In Boston you're used to the sold out crowd every night. That's just a way of life. It was very surprising to see with us winning that we were still second fiddle to the Cubs. I thought we had a lot of fun and brought a lot of enjoyment to the fans."
While the White Sox fell just short of winning the division, controversy engulfed the Red Sox all season. Asked if he was surprised Boston's season ended up the way it did, Youkilis took a long pause, smiled and said, "I don't know. I can't tell you either way. I'm a White Sox."
Youkilis batted .235 with 19 homers and 60 RBIs in 122 games this season.
