Kevin Youkilis and the Boston Red Sox may part ways in the near future due to a logjam in their infield, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are among many teams showing early interest in the former All-Star. Youkilis, 33, is not the hitter he once was, but his ability to play first and third base has to be pretty appealing to most teams.
The Dodgers will be looking to add hitting in the coming weeks as Matt Kemp sits on the disabled list. Could Youkilis be on his way to Los Angeles in the near future?
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports weighs in on the Dodgers and Youkilis.
1. Dodgers. They recently increased their scouting of Youkilis, though one club official, asked to characterize their interest in Youkilis, used the phrase "a little.'' Dodgers third basemen have complied only a .665 OPS, good for 22nd in baseball, and hit only two home runs.
It should be noted that any talks with the Red Sox have been described as preliminary at this point.
Youkilis would likely play third base for the Dodgers should he be acquired, although you worry about adding a character such as himself to a team that is off to such a strong start. He is known to be a bit of a hot head, and that may not exactly mesh well with a few of the veterans in the L.A. clubhouse.
This being said, Youkilis can still hit and is decent in the field. He won't win any batting titles or gold gloves in the coming years, but he's a serviceable player who can help a slumping lineup.
Look for the trade rumors to continue out of Boston in the coming weeks as the trade deadline starts to near. The Dodgers could certainly be a fit.
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