Now that the trade chatter has started, it’ll likely gather momentum in anticipation of the July 31st non-waiver deadline. It could be a long eight weeks for Kevin Youkilis.
The rumors have teams such as the Dodgers, Phillies, Diamondbacks and White Sox interested in acquiring the infielder from his longtime team, the Red Sox. It’s a topic Youkilis prefers to avoid.
“I’m here to play against the Jays,” he said on his way to the indoor batting cages before Sunday’s game in Toronto.
While Youkilis would rather focus on his next at bat than his next team, some players attempt to deflect the rumors and speculation that surround them with a little humor.
“Any Cody Ross rumors?” Jarrod Saltalamacchia inquired with the outfielder himself sitting nearby (in case you’re wondering, there are no new Ross rumors).
Second baseman Dustin Pedroia has had more down time than usual since last Monday, when he injured his right thumb. But Pedroia hasn’t spent the time seeking and digesting the latest updates on his team.
“What’s the rumor mill?” he asked without apparent irony.
Pedroia maintains that he’s not an internet person and that even a mobile phone can be excessive, so his indifference to the trade talk comes as no surprise. His teammates showed a little more curiosity, half-jokingly wondering aloud about possible trade targets for the Red Sox.
It’s nothing more than idle chatter now, but there’s no denying Youkilis’ future in Boston seems less defined than ever before. Will Middlebrooks is emerging as an option at third base, so opposing teams are starting to call general manager Ben Cherington about possible deals.
The Red Sox maintain that they’re not looking to move Youkilis, whose contract includes a $13MM club option for 2013 ($1MM buyout). But until the trade deadline passes two months from now, Youkilis figures to deflect countless questions as onlookers, his teammates included, are left to speculate.
Pedroia’s awesome.
A straight up character, the best kind of workingman character
They would be complete dolts to move Cody Ross. Better off moving the LH swinging Ells over him, if only because they dearly need a proven RH power bat and Ross is that person. Sure Pedey can hit for XB, but Ross is the perfect fenway swinger.. Good Fenway type power and loves to pull the ball to LF and LCF.
They need him in case they move Youk and Middlebrooks regresses some.. Super bad idea to even contemplate moving him, or think of him as a trade chip because he has become the hitter he always was (and i figured) once he got out of abysmal offensive stadiums.
Yea it was a joke made by Salty…
Ross has been mentioned by other sources was why posted it above. Not just in the aforementioned article.
Ben don’t trade Youkilis. Remember it took you 86 years to get rid of one curse. Don’t look to suffer through another one.
Now I think Youk is an excellent (if fragile) ballplayer but I doubt the red sox are going to send him to the yankees for cash
No matter what happens, Youk will be gone next year. No way they should pay that big contract at his age. If they let Ortiz go,with Jenks off the books,thats over 30 million to play with. But, like last winter, a ton of money came off the books and they went tightfisted on us. Now, we pay the price with a team hovering around.500, no legit closer, a terribble pitching staff and a bunch of players who keep getting injured..
Yes, I agree. They also blew to much money on, Dice k, Carl Crawford and John Lackey. At least Youk is playing. If they trade Youk, I’m affraid that the Red Soxs will fall.
Red Sox want Hamels? I’d offer him for a package that starts with Youkilis and throws in youngsters Nava, Doubrant and Mortensen. Sox get prospect P J.C. Ramirez off Phils’ 40 man roster. Gets Hamels out of the NL and reduces his chances of ending up in LA. Phils get some badly needed hitting help and Doubrant for the back of the rotation, Mortensen as needed help for the pen.
that package wouldnt land hamels
Agreed. Nava is more or less a retread, having a (so far) freakish month.. remind everyone of a guy playing for the Cubs? Mortenson is a MilB journeyman who is/was doing likewise and Doubrant? Tossup there.. nobody thought he was more than a backend SP.. he has yet to see teams more than once however.. After that we may have a different view about him.
That said? I still NEVER like trading anyone decent (this case Doubrant) for a rental of less than 1 season, unless said rental the team gets a window to negotiate an extension.
Mortenson and Nava are certainly easily expendable.. Doubrant, LT may not be and Hamels is as good as gone next season.. Like that bedard deal that lost trade chips Fife, Chaing and Fed-x for absolutely nothing gained.
Not arguing with your analysis. I would say Doubront is untouchable this season as we see how he develops. But my main point is that the three trade chips sent out for Bedard were all Rule 5 eligibles that were going to be lost for absolutely nothing, anyway. We had no 40-man roster space to protect them with. At least we got Bedard, who had a chance to perform decently.
There would have been open spots coming up was my point during the winter of 12-13. fed-x for sure would have been protected and the odds were not on them losing both Chaing and Fife.
The 40 man roster, when that deal was mad had many discards on it still at that time who were going to play no part with the future of that team and they knew over the winter several were not going to be back and could have been protected past the rule 5 draft phase had they wished.
Bedard performed exactly like he generally has over the last half a dozen years for Boston.. Landed on the DL and was iffy at best making any starts at all. It was one of the moves that screamed ‘don’t waste anybody” for this move it was so apparent.
Edit:
It’s just a major difference of opinion on seeing possible future HOF.. Like Bagwell.. Sent off for people like larry Anderson again.. Boston makes these moves sooo many times over the last 40+ years and they always end up BAD…
John, no, there weren’t open spots, except for maybe Tejada’s spot could have been apportioned elsewise. There were a large number of guys who became rule 5 eligible last season (something like 37; 8 of which were crucial) and there was a 40-man roster logjam to deal with before the November roster freeze.
Besides, I can’t believe you are whining about losing these three guys. Fife has a 4-4 record with a 5.43 ERA and 1.707 WHIP for Albuquerque. Fed-X has 7 games with the Dodgers, hitting .154 w/ a .466 OPS. Chiang has been demoted mostly to AA Jackson, where he’s hitting a whopping .162 w/ .549 OPS. Its clear we didn’t ship off any real MLB-level talent.
I would remind that Bagwell was a scrawny, nearly hitless throw-away when we traded him. Then he found steroids.
Darnell Mcdonald.. Throwaway.. Varitek after the season was going to be an open slot. All the FA.. before the draft would be open.. Not talking about open slots during the season, but before the draft.
I can go back to fix it patches decades before you more than likely and not trying to sound mean here, as you generally are a really nice person here.. Have seen these trades turn sour many times and did not just throw that out.. Mike Boddicker, year+ rental for Brady Anderson and Curt Schilling.. yes you can say Anderson was probably a juicer as well and the O’s never figured out Schill and reaped the rewards, but Schill alone was worth far more than what Boston got out of Boddicker and why they got him.. To win the AL east that year and get wiped with the floor when they had no chance vs those REALLY juicing A’s teams led by Mcqwire and Canseco.. Never winning a game against them even.
Want more? Pete Ladd for 6 months of Bob Watson that everyone (except Haywood Sullivan) knew was going to sign with NY after the season anyway.. Ladd went on to have a few decent seasons with the Brew crew as a reliever, at a time Boston desperately needed someone solid there..
Edit:
Also afraid that if they *do* try and get.. Say a Hamels.. Maybe Grienke that the cost will pale in comparison to what that discard bedard did and will end up with another Boddicker/Anderson type disaster.. It’s just not worth it.. To me at least after watching this team for.. Seriously here.. Pre ’65 and all the winners and losers to give up superb talent like that.
If they can get a window to negotiate an extension? Go for it. The 1 guy who they maybe could have gotten earlier and signed (Sanchez) is out now with the Fish playing so well now and don’t see Hamels/grienke signing an extension even with their current teams until maybe they reach FA.
I have to wonder if they’d consider it if you replace Nava with a healthy Kalish?
They tinkered with Mortensen’s mechanics and where he sets up on the rubber
and he found immediate success; that being said it’s a small sample and
there’s no telling if the improvement lasts, so you’re taking a chance
that he doesn’t revert back to near uselessness (but he’s a reliever so
he wouldn’t be a major part of the deal anyway, and you could
legitimately have those concerns about most non-elite relievers).
Doubront always had legitimate back end starter potential, even in the
AL East, and has had people talking this year that he could even be a #3
at this point. Plus he is cheap and has several years of control left.
Kalish has 5 average or better tools and projects as an above average
RF/occasional all-star. Also has a long time under team control.
Youkilis is Youkilis.
It actually seems like a bit of an overpay for half a year of Hamels,
but I don’t know if it would fit what the Phillies would be looking for
in a trade. Then there’s the fact that they probably aren’t actually looking to trade Hamels anyway.
The biggest piece going over is Youk. and it really depends on what you consider his value to be at this point.
Reality is, if this was Youk of 2 years ago, you laugh at the phillies for even asking.
I can’t see Philly making that trade. Not enough value for Hamels, at the moment, who is one of the best. Youkilis would have to perform at a high enough level to make it worthwhile now, and for Philly exercise the option. Bear in mind that Halladay might be out for some time.
Hamels is probably gone after this year, regardless of which team had him, but either would make a qualifying offer and get a draft pick. If Youkilis doesn’t perform, you haven’t really solved any problem for Philly and they don’t get the pick.
If Phllly really wants to shop Hamels, they would probably be looking for a boatload of young, inexpensive prospects.
Like he said. The Phils are gonna throw a bunch of money at Hamels. With Haliday and Lee slowing down, they can’t afford to let him go. The Sox would have to throw alot more at Philly to get Hamels.
Time and tide wait for no man…
But what has that got to do with the Red Sox and Kevin Youkilis? I am certain that Bobby V. and Ben C. have recently said that Youkilis is not on the trading block. So, with that said Ben, what is there to be uncertain about at Fenway?
BTW, the Red Sox have won 24 of their last 40 games (60%). At this winning percentage rate, the Sox project to win 93 games in 2012. Do you think this 93-69 record, if it materializes, will get Boston into the playoffs?
Just saying and just asking….
Lester for Hamels… even up?
No
The proposal of Jon Lester for Cole Hamels is strangely intriguing.
Two lefthanders born 11 days apart, Lester trending slightly downward with a WAR of 23.8 in 166 career games and Hamels trending slightly upward with a WAR of 24.7 in 192 career games.
Lester is owed about a total $16.5 million through the 2013 season with a $13 million club option, or $250,000 buyout, for 2014. Hamels has just under $10 million remaining on his contract before becoming a free agent at the end of this season.
intriguingly strange*
how is that intriguing? you get 2.5 years with one, .5 with the other.
One and a half years (with option for an expensive additonal year) of a pitcher trending downward for a half year of a pitcher trending upward.
With Phillies needing bullpen help, could they be interested in a package for Hamels centered around Youk and Bard?
I don’t care where he lands… I just want him out of the AL East.
Also, when Huch hit Youkilis in the shoulder: Priceless.
it wasn’t intentional.. Bard walked 6 in 2 innings, it was obvious he had no control, ee and yescobar plunkings weren’t on purpose.
I actually thought the way Youk handled being hit was pretty awesome. Didn’t mind being hit, just wanted it to be down. Kinda cool
Also, when the fans cheered after a pitch at Youkilis’ head: Classless.
That’s my city. Not really ashamed at all.
Not really surprised at all.
Makes it very distracting