Alex Rodriguez’ eyes bulged as big and white as baseballs.

“Nomar got traded? Rodriguez asked. “Wow, that is surprising.”

The Yankees had varied reactions to the news that the Red Sox had traded Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs. In the four-team trade, Garciaparra ended up at Wrigley, while Expos shortstop Orlando Cabrera and Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz are now with the Red Sox.

Derek Jeter couldn’t fathom Garciaparra without a “B” on his cap.

“I can’t think of him playing anywhere else,” he said. “When you think Red Sox, the first thing that comes to mind is Nomar.”

Not anymore. This left former Red Sox reliever, Tom Gordon, to speculate there is more to the story.

“I’m very surprised,” he said. “Maybe there are some things going on up there you and I don’t know about.”

With Garciparra a free agent after this season and noticeably unhappy in Boston, there had been talk of his departure from Fenway for a while.

“That wasn’t a surprise to me,” Mariano Rivera said.

Now, Garciaparra will no longer be part of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. The identity of the Red Sox has changed. The fallout in Boston is expected to be immense.

“When you can identify somebody with their first name, you know how important an individual he has been,” Joe Torre said. “They [Boston fans] loved him.”

CHITOWN BOUND

The Yankee-Red Sox rivalry closed a chapter yesterday when Boston traded shortstop Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs as part of a four-team deal. The Red Sox ended up with Montreal SS Orlando Cabrera and Twins 1B Doug Mientkiewicz while the Expos got Cubs SS Alex Gonzalez.

TO CUBS

Nomar Garciaparra

With Boston 1996-2004

AB R H HR RBI AVG

Totals 3968 709 1281 178 690 .323

TO BOSTON

Orlando Cabrera

With Montreal 1997-2004

AB R H HR RBI AVG

Totals 3288 407 877 66 381 .267

Doug Mientkiewicz

With Minnesota 1998-2004 AB R H HR RBI AVG

Totals 2147 273 590 43 266 .275

TO MONTREAL

Alex Gonzalez

With Toronto, Cubs 1994-2004 AB R H HR RBI AVG

Totals 4433 551 1075 124 478 .242