1:07pm: Teams have checked in, but the Red Sox haven’t initiated any talks, GM Ben Cherington said, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). The Reds are happy with Todd Frazier at third, Knobler tweets.
12:30pm: The Dodgers have lukewarm interest in Youkilis, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports (on Twitter). They don't want to pay his salary or surrender a top prospect for him.
12:13pm: The White Sox have watched Youkilis and the Rangers have checked in on him, Knobler reports. The Dodgers are stepping up their scouting of Youkilis, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
10:19am: The Red Sox are telling teams they definitely intend to trade Kevin Youkilis, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The emergence of Will Middlebrooks has made it more challenging than ever to work Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz into Boston's lineup.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe suggested yesterday that the Giants, Diamondbacks and Dodgers are among the teams with interest in Youkilis. The Phillies and Indians were linked to the corner infielder earlier this spring.
Youkilis has a .250/.318/.406 batting line with four home runs in 107 plate appearances this year. The 33-year-old spent three weeks on the disabled list with lower back soreness before returning to action late last month. Youkilis, a three-time All-Star, can play first or third base. He earns $12MM this year and his contract includes a $13MM club option for 2013 ($1MM buyout).
and nobody cared…..
I haven’t paid too much attention to the Youlk rumors in the past, so perhaps the question I ask has been brought up already. Are the Red Sox are looking for prospects back or current MLB player(s)?
Honestly, unless the Sox are looking to build a bigger package deal, about the only position where they could use some help (factoring in the guys who will be coming back from the DL) is at Utility IF-er. Punto’s useless at the plate. A better utility guy would be nice.
Pitching too of course.
Disagree. They have a full lineup, they are just sucking. Beckett, Lester, Buchholz, Bard and Dubront, plus Dice K and, sadly, Lackey. I dont think they’d get another start on the books and sit one of those guys.
Unless you meant the bullpen which has been good enough that they haven’t felt the need to call up Melancon who has been pitching real well since being demoted.
I think they go for prospects.
Buchholz has had two good starts the last three times out, but if he doesn’t maintain that and goes back to the way he had been pitching earlier this year there is a real chance he ends up back in AAA, plus they will want to limit at least Bard’s innings and possibly Doubront’s as well, so they could have as many as three starting pitchers that they would want to, or be willing to, replace in the rotation. Starting pitching is definitely something they should be looking at.
update; make it 3 of 4
The more I think about it, the more I like the thought of Youk, Ross, Melancon and Morales to Cleveland for Urbaldo Jiminez and a AAA level prospect. Cleveland needs some offense and they have been disappointed with Jiminez since he came over from Denver. Jiminez would allow the Sox to put Bard back into the relief corps (imagine…Bard, Aceves and Bailey in the 8th and 9th innings). Ross’s marketability is high at the moment. Morales needs a change of scenery. And Melancon, well, they traded last year’s shortstop, Jed Lowrie, for him….
Clearly, the Sox need to get younger…
I wouldn’t trade Youkilis straight up for Jimenez at this point. He doesn’t even look like a major league pitcher anymore, his velocity is down 4+ mph, and he’s walking more guys than he’s striking out; there’s definitely something wrong there.
Trade him even up for the struggling Justin Masterson however 🙂
Watched him 2 times this year.. His velo is down (a little) but he’s still got that nasty sinking FB of his.
Hafner is out for awhile and they have almost no power now.. They going to compete, or any facsimile of attempting to and they have to get someone with a remote power bat there.. Haf looked like a cripple the games I saw him in anyway, even 1 game saw him hit a HR in..
I’d swap Youk for Masterson.. Even maybe give them a couple million in that sole deal..
I like your thoughts on this although I would look at obtaining there young single ‘A’ shortstop Francisco Lindor who can hit for average as well as field as the Red Sox future shortstop. All signs indicate that he is going to be a top notch major league shortstop in a couple of years. From what I see from Iglesias i don’t think he can hit enough to be considered a major league starting shortstop. I believe the Red Sox organization has finally realized this and will be looking at other options.
Bard hasn’t done very well (He has only 1 more strikeout than he has walks), and I believe they would limit his innings anyway. Yes the bullpen is better than it was in April, but obviously Bard appears to be better suited for the bullpen (at least as of now) and would eventually move back there anyway. You would have no idea what to expect from Dice-K or Lackey. Doubront also might have an innings limit.
And Buchholz has been Awful. This team can definitely use starting pitching.
Well if there is anything the Dodgers have no shortage of, it is utility infielders. Sellers, De Jesus, Herrera, Kennedy, Hairston, Uribe, Miles… take your pick.
no, denied
Pirates. Any port in a storm, if they’re competing and Boston eats most of the cost.
I think the Buccos would be better off taking most (if not all) of the contract in order to give up lesser prospect(s).
I wouldn’t mind the move so much, but it’s hard for me to give up that much money/prospects to an often injured 33 year old. Maybe if they can get him on the super cheap, but something tells me one of the other teams mentioned in this will overpay tremendously to bring him in. I say not worth it.
I’m actually kind of hoping for this.
Any thoughts who the Sox might get for him?
not much if they trade him when his value is so low.
not sure why they would want to do this
I’m not personally convinced that they really do want to do this, and I am personally convinced that they shouldn’t.
I personally wish they would just do it.
And this is pretty much the tweet I was expecting when I posted my last comment:
“Nick Cafardo:
Ben Cherington said teams have ‘checked in’ on Youkilis but he has not initiated any talks. ‘He’s played extremly well for us’- Cherington”
Edit: Speier just wrote a short little blurb about it with quotes from Cherington saying it isn’t true. Said it’s their job to take calls from teams interested in anyone, but they haven’t told anyone that they are willing to trade him. Says he’s a key piece of the team and lineup.
this is happening more and more lately.
seems like because there isnt much going on that the so called insiders are just making fluff up
Because there are four hundred million media outlets now instead of just eight, and everyone has to have write something “newsworthy” in order to justify their existence in the mediasphere.
this.
pageviews and quantity matter more than quality of content for revenue purposes.
Inevitable but still unfortunate to see Youk go. Very underrated on both sides of the ball, but he has not aged well and injuries have taken a toll the last couple seasons.
Moving Youk to 3B didn’t do him any favors, health-wise, at his age. He’s better off staying at 1B at this point. He can still be a good player as long as he stays healthy (and stays at 1B).
White Sox. Give Boston one of our minor league outfielders, god knows they can always use outfielders.
There is a logjam in the outfield right now, and it looks to get a lot worse when Ross, Crawford and Ellsbury get back.. they have no interest in outfields. Its young pitching they want.
I agree. All things considered, the Sox do not need outfielders. Ross will be off the DL soon. I’m guessing that Ells will be off it in a month or so. McDonand any time (but he could be cut as far as I’m concerned). When some of these guys start returning, the Sox are going to have more OF’ers than they know what to do with. They don’t need any more.
Don’t forget Kalish has already started rehabbing, and Crawford will be back around the same time as Ellsbury.
MS, I don’t see Kalish as being ready for the big club. He lost an entire year, and probably needs to spend a few months down at AAA to catch up.
As for Crawford, I left him out because who knows when he’ll really come back. 😉
It’s possible that Kalish doesn’t make it back to the majors this year, but he’s already back up to AA and playing well there, so I don’t know that it’s all that unlikely really.
That’s nice, but the Sox seem to overstocked with OFers right now (including their DL’d OF-ers) that I’d think that it’d be better to leave Kalish in the minors for the rest of the season. I’d think that between Ellsbury, Crawford, Ross, Sweeney, Nava, Podsednik, Byrd, and (ugh) McDonald, the Sox have the OF more than suffiently covered for the rest of this season.
Kalish might be the first one ready at this rate though (either he or Ross), and if he is he’ll almost certainly see time at least until Ellsbury and Crawford return.
It’s also pretty much certain that several of those guys will be DFAd or traded when people start coming back (none of them have options). When everyone is healthy the outfield will be Crawford, Ellsbury, Ross-Sweeney, and one of the other guys (it’s looking like Nava at this point honestly). Unless they aren’t picked up by another team and they accept an assignment to AAA those guys will be gone, and Kalish becomes the depth in the minors, so if something happens again, he would be the guy getting called up.
I’ll give you that Kalish might be ready before Crawford and/or Ellsbury. Still, If the Sox have Ross (if he gets back soon, of course), Sweeney, Nava, Pods, and Byrd, I don’t see much use in calling up Kalish. (Of course, I may be underselling Kalish…)
There’s no doubt that there’ll be dome DFA’s. It’s an absolute certainty (or some trades). The Sox have a full 40 man roster AND something like 7-8 guys on the 60 day DL for whom roster space will have to be made when they come off the 60 day DL.
Arguably, it might be one reason the Sox might favor getting prospects that don’t need to be on the 40 man roster rather than a major leaguer to replace Youk, since it’d be a way to clear a roster spot.
You’re definitely underselling Kalish if you think that group keeps him in AAA. Of those players he is easily the second best (behind Ross), and if he’s completely healthy I’d say he’s probably the best.
MS, that may be true, but I’m not a fan of calling up star prospects just to let them ride the bench. I’d rather let him play full time at AAA than be a bench player for the big club. Besides, they’d probably have to cut or trade someone (except possibly Nava) just to make room for him on the big club. Personally, I’d rather not cut someone just to make room for someone else to be a 5th OF’er.
That’s not what I was suggesting (at least, that’s not what I was trying to suggest). If he’s ready before the others you call him up and play him every day until the others are ready, at which point you send him down to AAA to play every day until an injury happens, and then you call him up and play him every day again.
And if you want to do that, you have to cut/DFA/trade one of the others, which I don’t think is a good idea at this point. If we were talking about an underperformer, that’d be one thing. But the guys in the OF right now are getting the job done. I see no reason to dump one of the just because someone has a hard-on for a rookie who has missed a year and quite frankly should spend a 2-3 months getting back to where he was.
You think it’s a bad idea to call up a considerably better player just because you’d have to DFA McDonald or Byrd to do it? That makes no sense at all. You’re going to have to DFA one of them when he comes off of the 60 day DL anyway to make a 40 man roster spot for him.
I don’t give a rat’s behind about DFA’ing McDonald. Byrd, Podsednik, Nava, Sweeney… them, I do care. And I’m not convinced that Kalish is such a great player at this point. All I hear is a bunch of hot air. And the fact that he’s missed a year due to injury. It’s time for him to make up for lost time, not take playing time away from guys who actually are getting the job done.
I really don’t get what your deal is with Kalish, the guys does nothing but prove his worth in the minors, gets called up to the majors and plays well there (at 22 years old) and then because he gets hurt and misses a year he’s a nobody? He’s a far better player than Byrd, Podsednik, or or Nava. He has five above average tools, and has 20 HR/30+SB potential. There are reasons nobody wanted Byrd or Podsednik, and there’s a reason Nava was the 6th p[layer called up.
I very highly doubt they will get much more than one prospect and maybe a reliever for him… That being said, why would they want that prospect to be an OF when they have Crawford, Ellsbury, Sweeney, Kalish, Lin for at least this year and next (ellsbury will then be gone, but Kalish will be playing CF then). They are also very deep in the lower minors in the OF…
They need pitching and middle IF depth for the future.
That being said, Youk will be going to the team that is willing to eat the most salary; which might be the White Sox…
Its time for the Sox and Youk to part ways.He needs a new start with another club.Hopefully the Sox will get some good prospects or a good pitcher in return.Thanks for everything Youk
Phils could use him
What are the Sox expecting in trade? He has been injured and makes 12 mill this year. I’d really like the Giants to call about him, but taking on that much pay…better be only low level prospects involved.
Can’t hurt the Giants to put in a call – which prospect would you give up for him?
Giants take on contract and give up a scrub.
Excellent. Hopefully the Indians blow the bank on him.
Perhaps they trade Youlk for Sizemore if he returns? Perhaps some low or mid level prospects by 1 if not both teams as well. Of course Sizemore is a BIG risk though. I doubt it happens.
I cant even imagine a healthy sizemore, crawford and ellsbury in the outfield
If Sizemore were ever truly healthy again that would have to be one of (if not the) best outfields in the game. Sadly I have my doubts about Sizemore ever being truly healthy for any length of time ever again.
To be fair, no one can imagine Sizemore playing the outfield anymore. It’s like trying to remember when you were born.
I can’t imagine all three healthy on the same day.
Indians don’t have much bank to blow anymore.
We have a ton of outfielders…They just happen to be on the DL at the same time…I think the more $$ the Sox eat, the better prospect/player they would get back..It also wouldnt hurt to toss in one of their own prospects to better the deal…
“I think the more $$ the Sox eat, the better prospect/player they would get back” That is true in literally every trade ever, but I don’t agree with the sentiment that the Red Sox would have to eat money to get anything at all in return. He should be at 1B at this point (mostly so he can stay healthy and be more productive – his defense isn’t good at 3B but it’s passable), but there’s no reason to believe he can’t still be one of the better 1B in the league and $12M is cheap for a hitter of Youkilis’ caliber ($12M is what players like Rios, Huff, Konerko, Uggla, and Hafner[to DH] are paid).
Youkilis in the Texas Rangers line-up would be sweet!!!
Youk in a Texas Rangers uniform would be completely useless with the likes of Moreland, Napoli, Young, Beltre and Gonzalez covering 1st and 3rd.
Exactly right. Don’t forget they also have Brandon Snyder in that mix. Youkilis is terribly redundant.
he would bat ninth in the lineup and thats no knock on him
Cubs are sellers, Red sox wanna trade youk.
“Red Sox and Cubs are in talks of a trade for Soriano, Castro, and Youkilis plus prospects.” Peter Gammons.
there is no chance in that happening, cubs won’t sell on castro, and the sox don’t need more shortstop depth or useless OFers
It makes less than no sense.
I mean, it was a joke at how easily reporters will piece things like this together.
Personally I took it as a shot at Peter Gammons. I hope I wasn’t wrong!
Where did you hear this?
seriously? lol
youk said earlier this yr that he wouldnt mind going home and playing in cincy? anyone know what kind of young pitching or ss prospects they have and might be willing to part with?
Joey Votto?
ha still leave the sox with the same problem no place for him to play
Our young SS prospects include DiDi Gregorious and Billy Hamilton. Billy will NOT be traded, so DiDi is likely the only one on the board. I’m not sure or not whether that is an overpay, because he is a pretty good prospect.
Our pitching including Tony Cingrani, Daniel Corcino, Robert Stephenson (not tradeable, drafted last year), and Kyle Lotzkar. Lotzkar would probably be the only one traded, in my opinion.
I’ve always liked Youk. He’s a great player, but has trouble staying healthy. Will probably have a longer more productive career if plays 1st and DH over 3rd. The Sox need starting pitching or some young prospects in return.
seriously that would be insanely awesome for the red sox. castro would be huge and if soriano is just relegated to bench duty where the sox took a good chunk of his contract to give up lesser prospects, id be all in on that
It wasn’t a serious proposal. The fact that you love it so much for the Sox is a good clue.
I’ll be sad for Youk to go, but….. Red Sox need a reliable veteran pitcher to throw right in the rotation, taking out either Bucholz for re-working down in the minors or Bard back to the pen. Or 1B/O and prospect(s); 1B/O to spell Gonzo and add to outfield mix; cut Byrd or Mcdonald. (sry guys – thanks for the help)
I would take him on the Pirates as previously mentioned. He’d bring much needed discipline to the free swinging lineup but I’d be careful of how much they want for him. I’d be willing to pay nearly his whole salary as long as we don’t have to give up a very good prospect. Maybe Pittsburgh can throw back a pitcher like Correia in return to offset salaries a bit.
Youk is still a good player but he’s in decline so teams probably won’t overpay simply based on his past success.
To me, taking a chance on Youk would be akin to taking a chance on Burnett, an established veteran with good numbers in the past who maybe just needed a change in scenery. Burnett has worked out quite well, and making a similar move for Youk, in other words getting Boston to pick up some of the tab and not giving up a top prospect, could work wonders in the Bucco lineup.
Boston will not pick up the tab AND pick up no prospects. Youk is nowhere near the level of where Burnett was.
Eric Bedard is another veteran project that has gone well so far.
Youk has been a better player than Burnett though, he was an albatross in NY. The prospect return could be little but I don’t see them going 50/50 on salary or anything close to that. Boston would probably like to clear cap room to get something else.
Youk would only be a half year rental. Big difference.
Castro to Sox as part of a Youk deal says Gammons? Hysterical, absurd,but hysterical.
It’s too bad Milwaukee doesn’t have a lot to offer because they need a 1B and Youk would fit in well there.
They certainly have more than enough to land Youkilis, but at his current price, you wouldn’t be looking at landing one of their top (mostly pitching) prospects anyway.
Youkilis for K-rod straight up.
The Red Sox don’t need more relievers, especially expensive ones.
I think Alfredo’s 4.91 ERA and three blown saves disagrees with that
Their bullpen overall has been outstanding since the rough start, and Aceves is only a closer until Bailey and/or Melancon come back. They also only have (I think) one person in their ‘pen with options, so if they added someone they would have to either trade or release someone currently in the ‘pen. They also have three or four guys in AAA who should be getting a shot in the ‘pen, but they simply don’t have room for them right now; they really don’t need more relievers, and they definitely don’t want an expensive one.
I guess you would know better than I would. It would seem like an even trade (considering salary).
The trade might be okay based strictly on value (although I would still say that K-Rod’s contract is a lot more prohibitive than Youkilis’), but it wouldn’t make sense for Boston because of the current state of their bullpen and what their real needs are.
When he is healthy he is still a very productive all around player. In 2009-2010 Beltran was dealing with injuries just like Youk, difference is Youk was still more productive. Now Youk is playing solid again, if he can add 6 or 7 bombs and his typical disciple by the deadline he SHOULD get something similar to what the Mets got for Beltran. One top prospect.
beltran for wheeler was seen as a huge overpay by the Giants AND the Mets paid almost all of Beltran’s contract.
and beltran went on a monster hot streak for 2011 before being traded.
After he came of the DL, he went on a tear for the Giants.
Beltran is just a monster. I fully expect him to hit 30 HR this year and be the best RF in the league outside of Stanton.
I agree but if he is hitting without issue its going to take a top prospect to pry him away. A healthy Youk is one of the better all around players in the entire game. Now he might have regressed but his stats don’t seem to indicate its by much at all, its just a health thing. I doubt he gets dealt unless we are out of it which we won’t be, so I think an overpay will be the only way it actually happens.
youkilis for crisp and balfour
swap of contracts…unrealistic?
I don’t see a reason for the Red Sox to make that trade.
Youkilis would actually be a great fit for LA. Infield corners would be a combo of Youkilis, Loney, Uribe, Hairston. To Boston: something like Guerra and Sands?
I don’t think Youk is going draw as much as Sox fans want in the trade market due to the many factors stated by the posts above…that being said Dodger fans are the only ones who think Sands has any value whatsoever
Agree that Youkilis seems overvalued by Bosox fans but I don’t think he will be overvalued in the trade market, any more than Jerry Sands would be. In fact Sands is exactly the kind of middling prospect the Sox could expect in return for Youkilis, if the trading team absorbs most/all of his contract.
I think this is actually the complete opposite of the way the Red Sox feel. Someone like the LA Dodgers are salivating at having Youkilis at 1B. Loney is abismal and looking at being cut to marginal playing time, also they have Youk signed for next year as well. Which allows for them to look at the next 2 years FA market and see what is a possibility. The salary would work for both teams benefit. It would allow the Red Sox to stay under the Cap which is always a concern now.
Now would I love to start with Zach Lee, you bet your life but I dont believe it would happen. Sadly someone like Eovaldi is too close to the majors as the rotation is set for the next 2 years.
So here is what I think either Ethan Martin or Zach Lee and Logan Bawcom for Youkilis.
Now here is my logic, if this was a what have you done for me lately league we could have traded a top 100 prospect for han-ram since he was horrific last year but since this is a league were people remember the person you are.
In his last 3.25 years he has a line of: .287/.394/.514 OPS of .909. He averages about 20 HRs a year and 85 RBIs, he plays gold glove defense at 1B and his WAR is around 5. I think Cherington will ask for a good sizeable prospect or two for this player.
I’m not familiar with the Dodgers prospects but this seem like the first well thought out and articulated post, so I agree!
I’m going to crawl way out on a thin limb and say that no way do the Dodgers give up either Martin or Lee, and not especially Lee. Bawcom, maybe. The most recent updates to this article seem to confirm the unwillingness of the Dodgers to part with anyone important for Youkilis. That’s what I’d expect, and hope for.
”
Loney is abysmal and looking at being cut to marginal playing time”
He may not be the ideal player moving forward, but he certainly isn’t doing any worse than Youkilis. Their 2012 batting averages are identical (.250), and Loney has a slightly higher .OBP. Yes, Youk edges him out in both SLG and OPS, but I’ll take Loney’s defense any day of the week, and he’s also making HALF of Youkilis’ salary. Why on earth would the Dodgers surrender even a top TWENTY prospect for a player who is an upgrade by the SLIMMEST of margins offensively, is 5 years older and not nearly as nimble/agile, and has missed 152 games over that same “3.25 year” stretch, something you conveniently omitted.
The ONLY way Cherington nets a decent prospect is if he waits til the trade deadline, eats a considerable amount of remaining salary AND Youkilis goes on a crazy power streak.
Except it’s hard to envision such a power streak because as soon as their OF’s start coming off the D/L, Youk will once again be relegated to third where he’ll be jockeying for time with the superior player in Middlebrooks.
This is a salary dump/roster space move. Cherington knows it. Every other team knows it. Every fan SHOULD know it…
1) You’re pretending Loney is better (or even close to as good) as Youkilis based completely on a ~25 game sample size.
2) Literally every single defensive metric available likes Youkilis’ defense at 1B better than Loney’s.
3) Middlebrooks is not a superior player to Youkilis at this point, and if both remain with the organization (I’m still guessing they will), then Middlebrooks will end up back in AAA (where he probably still belongs).
Better chance you are included in a trade for youk than either Martin or Lee.
Eh, not so much. Career lines coming up…
Youkilis: .288/.389/.490/.879
Loney: .286/.345/.428/.773
An upgrade? Maybe some, if healthy. More likely he’d be a gloried platoon player.
So because Loney has an almost-as-high batting average and nothing else anywhere close (OBP 44 points lower, SLG 62 points lower, OPS 106 points lower) Youkilis is ‘maybe’ an upgrade?
Youkilis: .381 wOBA – 130 wRC+ – 28.2 WAR (and UZR, DRS, and TZL all like him better)
Loney: .334 wOBA – 105 wRC+ – 8.9 WAR
Loney has never come close to putting up the numbers that even injured Youkilis did last year.
Once again in your rush to cite magic black box stats you have failed to digest my entire post. As I said, an upgrade if healthy, which obviously has been the problem.
You said “maybe some, if healthy” while he would definitely be a huge upgrade if healthy. Even if you want to completely ignore the “black box stats” I posted and only use the (not black box?) stats you posted, his OPS is more than 100 points higher. That is a huge difference, and doesn’t even touch the upgraded defense he would bring.
The Dodgers need a big bat more than they need another good OBP player. Loney becomes expendable if/when they get that bat but I am not convinced that Youkilis is that bat. As far as defense at first is concerned, Loney is hard to beat. Just look at all the theories from Dodger fans about how Youkilis would be used in LA. How he’d fit into this puzzle is far from obvious.
That much I’ll give you, he’s not a huge power guy (he came close to 30 HRs twice, but he’s been around 20 every other year), but he offers a good deal more power than Loney (career .202 ISO vs .143 ISO for Loney).
Loney has been a huge disappointment in the power department, no question, but he also goes through stretches where he bats very well for average. The problem is if Youkilis is the answer then he must return to career average performance AND stay healthy, or we haven’t made any progress. And this is even before knowing who is given up in trade. Seems like a long odds gamble to me.
I don’t really think it’s that big of a gamble. Youkilis has hit 21 homers with 92 RBI and 89 runs scored over his last 147 games, so while his health might still be a question the production when he is healthy really isn’t.
The career lines you presented only strengthens my case. A 100+ point increase in career OPS. I’ll take that. Plus, Youkilis wouldn’t replace Loney, he’d likely play more third base except against lefties.
Obviously Youkilis is a great OBP player which is the big reason his OPS is so good. Not the huge bat we really need, but certainly useful when healthy. But just as you say, a glorified platoon player, especially when Uribe and Rivera are also available. I also cringe at the thought of who we’d have to give up to get him. If it’s just dollars and some middling prospect then I don’t mind, but if it comes at the expense of someone potentially important, like Eovaldi, then I’m not happy.
OPS is OBP+SLG. there is a larger difference in SLG than there is in OBP. dude comments about the difference in OPS, and you come back with a comment about OBP
amazing
Dude is rude.
youkilis has been great….i dont mind seeing middlebrooks at short for a couple of games to get agon back at 1st but if you gotta trade youkilis get something decent back..you dont need castro cuz we have iggy in minors….get rid on morales tho he cant ever get the big out when u need it!
Maybe fans of some of the interested teams can tell me what the Sox might get back if they ask for a decent reliever and a 4A/backup infielder who can play anywhere?
What do you guys think:
Youkilis (sox pay half his salary for remainder of season) for _________ and ___________
Guerra and Hairston Jr.
I would take that, and then release Nick Punto who is COMPLETELY overmatched offensively.
do you think the Dodgers would offer such a trade?
heck yeah.
Nope. But I can see them send Bills and his remaining Bill$ in a straight contract swap which has been batted around here for Billingsley’s last 4 starts.
Bryan Morris and Chase D’Arnaud
I think this is a semi unfair deal assuming the Sox are paying half the money…. that being said, i don’t know the players you speak of except to look at their stats real quick after you mentioned their names.
Pay 13 million of his remaining 25 million and you can have Hanrahan, Correia, and Owens or Locke
I think i would pass on that trade… Correia has a 4.30 or so ERA in the NL, put him the AL East and that turns into John Lackey. I don’t see how he’s a better option than Bard, Dudrount, Aaron Cook or Dice K…
Plus i’m assuming the Sox would have to pay all their salaries as well as half of YOuk this year and Half of his option next season…
I don’t see how this helps the Sox short or long term
I also don’t see how the Pirates benefit from this either. They give up an inning eater starter, and their all star closer (plus another piece) for Youk for what could be 3 months… looks to me like a lose lose situation.
josh bell please
Theirs no Gonzalez on the Rangers but Brad Snyder plays 1B also and Hawpe is in Triple-A.
Marlins for Coghlan and an so on?
Alberto Gonzalez has been on the roster the full season…
Hawpe is in AA and he’s currently on the DL with elbow issues. Alberto Gonzalez is the Rangers’ utility infielder and has played SS, 2B and 3B this year.
The problem with trading for Youkilis is that you don’t know what you are getting. He was OK, nothing more than that, last year, and missed time. This year looks like more of the same. He could be Berkman, who declined in Houston, did nothing for the Yankees, then became a monster in St. Louis, or he could just continue on the same path he is right now, an aging, oft injured, and expensive player with declining productivity. I’m not sure that the amount of money Boston throws in makes all that much of a difference in terms of getting a top prospect. I wouldn’t trade a top prospect for him because of the uncertainty
He was only ‘OK’ for him last year, but he was still on pace for 5.0 WAR before getting injured and put up a .366 wOBA which was higher than guys like Longoria, Teixeira, McCutchen, Swisher, Weeks, Howard, Pena…
Didn’t say he was a bad player, just one who might be going in the wrong direction in the sense of ability to stay on the field and production. That’s why I’d be reluctant to trade a top prospect. It may be Boston doesn’t get an offer that they feel is sufficient, and then he stays. BTW, Longoria had 7.2 WAR and is 25. I’d rather have Longo
Clearly, everyone would rather have Longoria at this point, that wasn’t my point though. I was simply trying to show that even in what was universally considered a ‘bad’ year for Youkilis he was still a very good, very valuable player (and that even in a bad year he can hit better than some of the top players in the game).
I get that. What I was trying to say, probably not terribly well, is that I’m more cautious about trading top prospects for older players, especially with the new CBA. Bill James talked about establishing a new level of performance, and that can go up or down. I wonder what his level of performance is, and if he’s ok, but not special, do I want to give away a top prospect and then maybe cut Youklis off after the season because he’s too expensive? I fully understand why Bosox fans think he should bring a big return.
Sure, but I think his value to Boston is (and should be) more of a concern for Boston than his value to other teams. He is still a better player than Middlebrooks at this point and is a big part of their offense, and if they want to try to win they should really stick with Youkilis for the rest of the year (and if they want they can simply decline his option at the end of the year). The only reason you trade Youkilis is if it makes your team better overall (whether that is better immediately with major leaguers, or better in the future with quality prospects), if you don’t get better you stick with the better player (Youkilis).
I think that it’s also worth noting that some of Youk’s “decline” is probably attributable to him switching from 1B to 3B after AGon’s arrival. I think that the chances are pretty good that he’d remain healthier if he switched back to being a full time 1B-man.
The problem for the Sox is that every other team knows the Sox are anxious to dump Youkilis. He will have to go at a discount wherever he winds up. Of all the possibilities I think the most likely scenario is that Yuke goes to LA for Javy Guerra and a Dodger Dog
I definitely agree that that lowers the Sox leverage in this situation. Every GM can see that the Sox have Middlebrooks ready to go at 3B, and that the Sox just want to move Youk to relieve a logjam.
If the Red Sox trade Youk before Ellsbury and Crawford are back Cherington is insanely stupid. Right now they need Youkilis at 1B with Gonzo in RF 85% of the time.
Phillips
Stubbs
Votto
Youkilis
Bruce
Heisey
Cozart
Hanigan
Frazier
Mesoraco
Rolen
Ludwick
Janish
But, who do you send their way? Also, I highly doubt we carry Fraizer, Rolen, AND Youk.
these comments are all over the place. Youk is not getting traded to the Pirates, Padres, or any other “non contender”. If he goes it’s to a team that thinks they can make the playoffs. Lots of dreamers on here lol. Cincinnati should have interest, and maybe Philly if they think they can turn things around. Cleveland has been a trade partner with Boston as well, so they are in the mix.
Middlebrooks isn’t a SS. Geez to that previous poster.
If Youk is traded it should be for an OF or SP prospect unless someone dangles a player they can’t refuse.
At the end of the day, however, i’ll bet Youk stays in Boston for the simple fact they aren’t healthy and cant really afford to move him. Its not the end of the world for Middlebrooks to go back to AAA until September. In fact that would be a good thing.. that would mean Ellsbury is back in CF, Crawford in LF, and Ross/Sweeney in RF (the way it was drawn on paper in ST).
Boston is not a better team with Middlebrooks playing and Youk traded if Youk is healthy. You are talking a GG clutch hitter here guys… when he’s healthy, Youk is still Youk.
I think the statute of limitations for calling a guy a Gold Glove-r should be just about up when he’s only won one, and it was five years ago.
Quoting Gold Gloves is a bad idea no matter how many a player has or when they won them.
Except when the player is universally accepted as a top tier defender… which again, I don’t believe Youkilis ever was.
Actually he was considered one of the top defenders in the game at 1B for years.
By “years,” I assume you mean two? I was alive back then, and I can’t say as I recall that being the case.
No, I mean every year he was there. He was at (or near) the top of the league in defensive metrics every year, and drew praise for his defense at 1B from day one.
In 2010 (his last year before being moved to 3B) Baseball America still had him ranked as the third best defensive 1B.
… and at 1B. He’s not a GG caliber 3B-man by any stretch.
That is a bit of a silly comment. Youk will absolutely get traded to a pittsburgh or san diego if they offer the best return. I doubt very much that the Sox would take a lesser package to send him to a contender.
BTW, the Pirates are 3 games out of first place, and have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. They would be 10 games over .500 right now if the team werent hitting a combined .204
If they can add a few professional hitters this team immediately enters the conversation in the NL Central.
I think he was saying that teams that aren’t in contention won’t be looking to trade for Youkilis, not that the Sox wouldn’t trade him to someone who isn’t contending. Why would a team who isn’t in contention want to trade for a player whose value is all in the immediate future, and not in the long-term?
he makes LOTS of sense for a noncontender (ESPECIALLY an AL one that can DH him part time) that thinks they can go for it next year.
IF the Sox are trading him now, which is a sell low, a noncontender could trade for him, pick up his option, and have him as a 1yr 1B powerbat. He’s better than any of the FA 1B this offseason not named Napoli, and a smaller market team may not want to throw multiple years at Napoli.
His value is not high right now. Just because a team isn’t “contending” doesn’t mean they shouldn’t look to add talent if the price is right.
(Again, why the Sox shouldn’t trade him to begin with, but I’m not going there).
Youk basically = Lance Berkman the summer of 2010 when dealt to the Yanks. Had an option like Youk and belonged at 1B/DH like Youk.
Youkilis and a midlevel pitching prospect to the White Sox for Gavin Floyd and Matt Thornton.
Please, please be sarcasm. No way CWS make that deal.
Youk for Kemp, let’s do it.
(I hope it’s obvious I’m kidding.)
I can’t see Youk in the NL anyways. I could see him in a White Sox or Indians jersey though, but if he goes to the Sox he will be playing 3rd and a little bit of DH if Dunn needs a day off.
If an NL team offers the best package, he will go to an NL team..
I frankly think that it’s MORE likely that he ends up in the NL as it seems that there are more potential NL suitors that may need a 1B-man, as well as the fact that it means that the Sox wouldn’t have to face him, except in a possible IL series or the World Series (which seems unlikely this season).
Or, more likely, Brad Lincoln and Chase D’Arnaud from the Pirates
I dont see the Pirates parting with Brad Lincoln right now. He has quite a bit more value to the Buccos than he would to other teams right now.
I could see Youk for Justin Wilson OR Jeff Locke plus Alex Presley OR Gorkys Hernandez with the Sox picking up 75-80% of the remaining money on Youks deal.
They better be asking for the Messiah on this deal!
This a salary dump. Sox not getting any worthwhile player in exchange unless they pay almost all of Youk’s salary.
I’d say that it’s more of a case that the Sox have their 3B of the future in Will Middlebrooks (WMB) and he’s MLB ready a little sooner than they expected. And with WMB, AGon, Ortiz, and Youk on the roster, the only way to get all 4 in the lineup is to move AGon out to RF and play Youk at 1B … which has been convenient of late due to the great number of injuries in the OF. But that situation will be coming to an end soon, leaving the Sox with no real good options.
They could send WMB back down to AAA and move Youk back to 3B. Or they could do some sort of musical chairs lineup rotation between WMB, AGon, Ortiz, and Youk for the 1b, 3B, DH lineup slots, which would make no one happy. Or they can trade Youk. After all, Youk’s contract expires at the end of the season (though he does have a 1 yr option for next season).
So, I don’t really see this as a straight up salary dump. It’s more complex than that.
Youk for Ogando? Moves Moreland to the bench but TXS has a young rotation and that kind of arm has to xcite BOS? Dont know if TXS would do it though.
Actually put Moreland in left!
Orioles are gonna trade for him to relpace reynolds at 3rd you watch.
The Rangers want Youk?
Doesn’t Jon Daniels have to ask for permission to spend extra money?
Youk in all seriousness is a pretty expensive piece to add and besides the Rangers are doing just fine without him as are the White Sox with the pick up of Hudson!
Yeah, I’m not really understanding the Rangers’ interest in Youkilis. I could see them as a good trade partner as far as Boston is concerned (they have tons of pitching, which is exactly what Boston needs), but I don’t see the fit as far as Texas is concerned.
5/31 – Ogando threw 6 innings today. Anyone else wonder why they keep stretching him out if he’s going to be a reliever?
If you’re suggesting some sort of Youkilis for Ogando swap I would love it, but I don’t see how that makes sense for Texas (even if Boston throws something else in to give Texas more value I still don’t see how Youkilis is enough of a fit or upgrade for it to make sense for Texas).
Ditto and why would the Rangers want to increase their already large budget?
Youk Will Be Traded To The Cincinnati Reds. Frazier Can Still Start At 3rd, LF,
He is a great fit in Pittsburgh, and the Bucs matchup with Boston great in this trade. The Pirates have financial flexibility if needed, they have TONS of pitching, and beyond the top top top tier prospects we have, most of the AA and AAA pitching can be traded away to improve the MLB roster. The Pirates have 4-5 MLB ready pitching prospects right now…but with one of the best pitching staffs in the Majors, there is no room yet.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Jays.
He’s a great fit there as an upgrade over Cooper/Lind and the Jays could easily put up an attractive package for him. There is the obvious, though maybe overstated fact of trading with a divisional opponent…but if you can get over that (I can, and hopefully most GMs can as well), the Jays and BoSox line up nice in a trade I think.
Maybe Deck McGuire and Carlos Perez for Youk?
The Red Sox are going to be so sorry when Middlebrooks’ BABIP comes back down to earth and his horrendous K/BB rates catch up to him.
assuming they get a good return, that’s a reality they’d be willing to live with
there’s not much reason to assume they’d get a good return though right now
The Red Sox said there is no truth to the Youkilis trade rumors. They are not necessarily going to trade him. It is too early for the Rex Sox to be sellers. I spoiled the fun.
give us some pitching staff please!
Youk, Ross, Morales and Melancon to Cleveland for Urbaldo Jiminez and a AAA level prospect