Yesterday we learned that the Red Sox have "stepped up their efforts" to trade Kevin Youkilis, who is losing playing time to Will Middlebrooks. After the rookie went 3-for-4 with a homer in last night's game, manager Bobby Valentine told Youkilis that he'll be sitting for a while according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). Here's the latest on the Greek God of Walks…
- A handful of teams are involved in the bidding according to Olney (Twitter link), but one official believes the White Sox are best positioned to swing a deal. It appears as though the Pirates have little interest in Youkilis according to ESPN Boston.
- ESPN's Buster Olney hears that teams believe Youkilis could be traded at any time, but the feeling is that Boston is just working to get the best offer (Twitter link).
- The Braves scouted Kevin Youkilis last week, Cafardo tweets. In fact, the Braves scouted him multiple times this past week, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter).
Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Medlen or O’Flaherty and a prospect or PTBNL for Youk and some salary relief?
Throwing it out there…
Yes. 100 times over, yes.
I would not trade Medlen or O’Flaherty for 10 of Yukes… point blank.. I would consider trading Henske, and maybe someone like Todd Redmond, but you would be a damned fool to trade Medlen or the Irishman for Yuke..
God this would go down in trade history as one of the worst trades ever!, he will be back on the dl in a week. NO frank! NO!
NO!, we dont need him as brave! what could he possibly add to our lineup? for the money we would have to part with wren would be crazy!!
I remember a time where the Red Sox could have gotten anything for this guy. I guess Beane’s Golden God of Walks hasn’t aged/ hasn’t been managed as expected
It would be a prospect (not a high level one) and the Sawx would have to eat alot of his salary.His value is not that great,IMO anymore.
At this point we will get more from releasing him. The sox can’t sit him he will be a issue and we have too many as it is. They need to go young kalish lavarnway Middlebrooks Nava and Wilson can be solid MLB players this year
“At this point we will get more from releasing him.” — Literally impossible.
Dude who will we get for him a mediocre prospect at best! Who will never do good in the majors if we release him we get will Middlebrooks everyday
“Do it now!” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
I agree with this statement.
Braves scouting Youks interseting very interseting were would he play when Chipper is healthy and playn got me scratching my head lol.
Please dont wren, not in atlanta. He cant add any value to our club with the money it will take to get him for a year or two.
Boston has been rumored to be willing to pay more of Youks contract to try to get more in return. As far as added value to the Braves he is a much needed reserve that can fill in each time Chipper is hurt or when Freeman loses a contact. The price will be agreeable for the Braves and a change of scenery could do some good for him. It’s a low risk medium reward for the Braves, and it’s worse he’ll be a decent defender who plays both corner infield positions and teams always go out of their way for guys like that, it would be a big perk if his bat found some life too.
With a few teams looking for 1B help and willing to take a shot on a struggling Youkilis, I wonder if there wouldn’t be a team out there willing to take a flyer on Lars Anderson. He’s actually having a good year at the plate in AAA and would literally likely only cost a few thousand dollar to pick up. And he’s been getting time in LF so he can cover spot duty out there too if needed.
He could be a roster (40 man) removal at the end of the year anyway.
Am with you that he will be peddled hard before the non waiver deadline is over.
are you kidding? this guy is washed up
i firmly believe youkilis is a bounceback candidate and i wouldn’t trade anything of value for him. he makes a ton of sense as a guy to buy low on and zero sense otherwise
I sounds like teams are not jumping through hoops to get to him. A DH that can’t hit, with a high salary. Pass.
he’s a very good defensive 1B, so i’m not sure what you’re on about there
” A DH”
Say what?? Have you ever watched him play 1b? he is still one of the better guys with the glove there and at LEAST league average at 3b with the glove.. Ortiz, Vlad, Abreu types are DH’s.. people you never want to see in the field because they only attempt to, like Abreu currently is out in LA, but Youk is still flashing good leather.
I think calling him league average is probably a stretch. I doubt that matters, though. With his injury problems I just don’t think it makes sense for a team to give up much for him if they plan on playing him at 3B. He makes the most sense for the Pirates or Dodgers because they can play him at 1B. I think if a team plays him strictly at first, they would be very happy they traded for him when all is said and done.
I still think the LAD are better off targeting Morneau over Youk. Morneau plays as good of defense at 1b, if not better and think his bat would/will come back to life in LA and his salary of 14m is not that bad for this year and next.
Youk is not exactly the kind of hitter whose style of hitting think would play well at Chavez Ravine. He is a fly ball hitter with his power to LF and LC.. 2 areas of death valley there and just don’t think Youk’s bat would be rejuvenated at all there.
Yeah, I’m really kinda dreading the seemingly inevitable Youkilis trade. I don’t think they are going to get anything for him to speak of, and I think there’s a relatively high probability of them regretting it at some point in the next year and a half.
Youks would make sense next year for Braves but not this yearwere does he play. Can he play OF know he has in past does he take a Prado like role for braves play 3b/1b/OF when chip and freddie need a day off would be interseting for sure.
Anything to get rid of Juan Francisco
dont really think Juan is as bad as that. he is a good defense at 3rd, awesome arm, maybe lacking at the plate a little. BUT, if 3rd is all Juan can play and they get youk, then yea i can see it.
I would rather get sutton back from the rays than go the youk route. He would cry every game not being the starter. He is done wren, dont do it.
“He us done wren”…Precisely why Wren will do it. He loves has beens like he loves rescuing flea-bitten dogs in from the rain.
youk is batting 225 4 homers in 162 ab’s and has a bad hip,juan is batting 226 with 5 homers and 16rbi’s in 104 ab’s and is 10 years younger than youk.
I’m not sure he’s as much of a bounce-back candidate as people think. Hip seems to be bothering him and he’s opening up on his swing wicked early. Hands seem placed differently this year, too. Dunno what that’s about.
I think he’s a solid-bet lottery ticket so long as the Red Sox cover a lot of salary. I’m kind of surprised the Pirates aren’t a bit more hot to trot on him. They’ve got a glut of mediocre pitching prospects they could deal in addition to Boston scarfing some cash for them. I’d figure the Pirates would toss a high-C, low-B level prospect for Youk if they didn’t have to eat much more than $2 on his contract. With a month to see where he’s at, if he flops, they still aren’t blowing more prospects…
If I were a Red Sox fan I’d have no idea what I’d want from the White Sox unless it’s a straight up dump for dump with Floyd and Youkilis, which really might not be a bad swap. I dunno. With Sale and Peavy obviously not on the dockett, I can’t see anyone the Red Sox would really want…
We arent trading Floyd unless we get some sort of starting pitching back. Were going to need him later.
you get trayce thompson, and like it.
But guys, Will Middlebrooks is nowhere near ready to be in the majors…
25% K rate, subpar walk rate, 383 BABIP…..whats the worst that could happen?
Near enough that it wont hurt him to be in the majors, but there are still things he needs to work on, and they are things that could be worked on in AAA just as well as in the majors.
It looks like Atlanta or CWS with Clev. a possibility.
While it’s the usual downplaying of a guy going on, Youkilis is a former GG 1b who can play third –even now– adequately. He isn’t hitting but neither was Ortiz a few years ago Ap-June and he’s about to make the AS team (again) his second since that lousy spring. Hitters can get it back.
The point is Youk is a low-risk pickup for a club needing some versatility at the corner positions and if he should start hitting this is an intense highly experienced former AS.
If I thought he could help my team I’d take a chance given the cost doesn’t look too high. You might even get the RS to throw in a RP which they are getting several back off the DL and will be overstocked.
As a White Sox fan, I see that he is a washed-up 1B/3B, and I still think he’s better than a washed-up 2B playing 3B (Orlando Hudson). Where do we sign up?
Youk will just not bring that much in return. Hopefully the best case is someone is willing to take on the remainder of the financial obligation and toss in a low level prospect.
Youk is just in a stage of physical deterioration and that certainly impacts his performance both offensively and defensively. IMO you are seeing a player transition from a 150+ game starter to a spot player.