Kevin Youkilis is a hometown boy—born and raised in Cincinnati and a product of the University of Cincinnati. What a story it makes for the hometown boy to make good on his hometown team. But, unfortunately for Youk, the Cincinnati Reds don't need him, nor should they pursue him.
The Boston Red Sox third-baseman has been linked to numerous trade rumors this season, and articles such as Jon Heyman’s Baseball Insider column and ESPN affiliated Fire Brand of The American League link him to Cincinnati.
The only hometown story that could be made with Kevin Youkilis is a recap of the major blunder Cincinnati made in trading for him. I'm sure that you are asking yourself why? The answer to this is two fold and very simple.
First, Youkilis is past his prime and injury prone. Look at Scott Rolen—the Reds do not need two Scott Rolen's on their club. Yes, Youk is younger, but he has also never played more than 147 games in a season and will continue to only break down more often with his advanced age.
Remember Ken Griffey Jr.?
Second, Todd Frazier is the third-baseman moving forward. He is a former Reds first-round draft pick from 2007, has the talent and has proven himself. He is second on the club only to Joey Votto with a .611 Slugging-percentage, and there comes a time when you need to trust your top prospects—that time is now.
It's time to stop playing games with trade rumors and time to focus on continually winning games with the team on the field.
There will be individuals that believe Youkilis could play left-field. To those people I say, Kevin Youkilis is a below average left-fielder and does not look to be improving anytime soon. The Reds suffered through Adam Dunn and others in left for years—do you really want to go back to that?
If the Reds intend on being serious contenders all year, then they must address their actual needs and not fool with false needs. Third-base is actually on the rise with the development of Frazier. Chris Heisey and Ryan Ludwick provide pop at the plate and excellent defense in left.
An improved left-handed bat off of the bench is a true "need."
Chime in with your thoughts:
Do you agree with this analysis? What do you believe are the true "needs" for the Cincinnati Reds?
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