The Red Sox seem likely to deal Kevin Youkilis. Where might he be headed — and for whom?
It's been a rough year for Kevin Youkilis, and it may end with him wearing another uniform. Regardless of whether you're a big Kevin Youkilis fan or not, his days in a Red Sox uniform may very well be coming to a close.
According to a report by Fox Sports, the Red Sox are actively shopping the veteran third and first baseman.
It does seem like it might be time for the Red Sox to make a move, and Kevin Youkilis is one of the more expendable pieces on the injury-riddled team.
As of now, the Red Sox are able to play Kevin Youkilis only because of injuries to other players.
It's one thing to put Adrian Gonzalez in right field in lieu of starting Darnell McDonald or Daniel Nava or Ryan Kalish.
It's another thing altogether if it means sitting Cody Ross (that's what putting Gonzalez in right field will entail in a month or so when Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury may both be back on the active roster).
Once that happens, Ross will play right, Gonzalez will play first, and David Ortiz certainly won't be taking any nights off from the DH position.
That leaves one position, third base, for two players. The combination of injuries and a lack of production when Youkilis has been healthy has made this choice easier for the Red Sox.
Will Middlebrooks is the team's third baseman. Kevin Youkilis is the team's trade bait.
Where will he go? What can Red Sox fans expect in return?
Youkilis could end up in any number of uniforms. The biggest obstacle to dealing him is his contract, $12 million for this year. There are reports that the Red Sox are willing to pay a portion of his salary, if the return was to their liking.
That willingness makes Youkilis an option to teams that are not as flush with cash as the Red Sox. More options could mean more competition, and that could of course lead to the Red Sox getting something of value for a player who really holds almost none to the team at this point.
That's where Youkilis is at as of now. With a team option at $13 million for next season and the two positions he's able to play filled by more talented and younger players, Youkilis' future in Boston if not dealt is pretty bleak.
He'd have his contract bought out for $1 million at the end of the season and become a free agent. Rather than get nothing for him the Red Sox are going to try and extract someone of value from another Major League team.
The Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates are all possible destinations for Youk.
Forget the big names on those teams. The Red Sox aren't getting a number one, two, or three starter in exchange for Youkilis.
What could the Sox get?
Chicago White Sox: White Sox G.M. Kenny Williams is always willing to wheel and deal. Chicago has Orlando Hudson starting at third base right now. That makes Youkilis an upgrade. Chicago has several promising young relief pitchers. Williams won't want to part with them, but he might part with lefty Matt Thornton who isn't cheap, and might be expendable with guys like Addison Reed, Hector Santiago, Nate Jones and Jesse Crain all looking solid out of the pen.
Another possibility would be starter Gavin Floyd. Floyd is having a very subpar season and, like Youkilis, has a team-controlled option for next season. A recent injury to starter John Danks might make dealing Floyd a less attractive option in Chicago.
Cleveland Indians:The Red Sox and Indians pulled off a big midseason trade back in 2009. That deal was centered around Justin Masterson and Victor Martinez. Forget about Masterson, he's not going anywhere. The Indians aren't going to part with any of their top pitching prospects. The other names are ones that the Red Sox are too familiar with. Dan Wheeler and Derek Lowe probably aren't the guys that Sox brass are looking to bring to Boston.
Arizona Diamondbacks:There were reports at one point that the Red Sox had asked for 25-year-old outfielder Gerardo Parra in trade talks. The Diamondbacks weren't going for that. Starting pitcher Joe Saunders is probably a more realistic option.
Los Angeles Dodgers:The Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball, so it should come as no surprise that they've got lots of solid pitching. They're not going to just hand it over to the Red Sox. If the Red Sox wanted to take a chance in currently injured Ted Lilly or the mediocre Aaron Harang, then perhaps the two teams could work something out.
Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates farm system is currently stocked with some of the best pitching prospects in baseball. Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon and Mark Appel aren't coming to Boston. There are two veterans having solid years in Pittsburgh, but it would seem unlikely that either Erik Bedard or A.J. Burnett would be guys Ben Cherington would want. That leaves former Yankee farmhand Jeff Karstens. Karstens is currently injured though, so Pittsburgh might not match up as a trading partner.
For now Youkilis and the Red Sox will just hope that he can find the stroke at the plate that made him a fairly lethal hitter for several years. If you're a Youkilis fan, then enjoy him while you can — he might not be around much longer.