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The Boston Red Sox must move struggling third baseman Kevin Youkilis this summer if they are going to contend for a World Series title this fall.

According to ESPN The Magazine‘s Buster Olney, a trade involving Youkilis could happen at any moment based on the Red Sox’s interest to move him, opening up an infield position for talented rookie Will Middlebrooks.

According to the report, the Chicago White Sox appear to be a contender in a potential trade for Youkilis, as they have expressed interest in acquiring the veteran.

Youkilis responded to the swirling rumors via fullcount.weei.com:

“I have no thoughts on anything. I haven’t been told anything. Until I’m told anything, I can’t really respond.”

The rumors have been flying since the start of the month, and the 33-year-old Youkilis has not been offering up a solution, hitting just .174 this month with zero home runs and 10 strikeouts with a week left before the start of July.

The veteran is now batting just .225 on the season, while Middlebrooks, who is 10 years younger, is hitting .319 with eight homers and 31 RBI. Middlebrooks also boasts an impressive .558 slugging percentage in 39 games with the Red Sox in 2012.

Only one player can hold down third base for Boston, and right now the better option for manager Bobby Valentine is the surging Middlebrooks.

Boston can trade Youkilis and acquire some value in return. The move will not only reduce the drama on Valentine’s daily plate, but also allow room for a potential star to grow at third base. Middlebrooks has thrived since being called up to the Red Sox.

Although fans would likely be disappointed to watch Youkilis leave Beantown, the only city he has ever represented in the majors, the Red Sox faithful are surely aware of the young piece they have to take over in the infield.

Youkilis has been in a slump all season long and has already butted heads with Valentine this year. If the Red Sox want to position themselves for the future and eliminate some of the drama that led to their demise in 2011, they must trade Kevin Youkilis this summer.

Follow Patrick Clarke on Twitter for more takes on the latest MLB trade rumors.

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Whenever an athlete is playing on the last year of his or her contract, it is crucial to have a good season in order to parlay that success into a long-term deal.

No matter a player’s age, if he shows he can perform at a substantial level, he will greatly enhance his chances of a long-term deal.

Every free-agent class has its top-tier players, but for every good player that maintains their previous levels of excellence, such as Cole Hamels and Zack Greinke, there are guys who do not perform as well when the money is on the line. 

There are a variety of reasons why these players fail. Whether it is age, luck or simply an inability to handle the big moments, their stats do not live up to their expectations heading into the season.

Here are five guys who are having disastrous seasons in their contract year.

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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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The 2012 baseball season has entered its third month, and that means there are plenty of rumors floating around the league—it’s the MLB way of life.

Some trade rumors turn out to be true, while others are so asinine and crazy that only the naïve and/or inebriated would believe them.

Deciphering which are valid and which to discard can be tricky, but as the trade deadline draws nearer, we will begin to see more and more proposals—mostly speculation—out there.

Royals expect early production from first-round pick

Kansas City’s starting rotation is bad. As a unit, they own a 5.20 ERA through June 4, ranking them 28^th in baseball.

The Royals selected Kyle Zimmer, a right-handed pitcher out of the University of San Francisco, with the No. 5 overall pick on Monday. Now, he is expected to contribute early, says KC scouting director Lonnie Goldberg.

“I think he’s got the talent to pitch up here right now, but I think there’s a lot of seasoning he’s got to get through,” Goldberg said. “My guess is his talent and his makeup will allow him to get here when he needs to, but I’d say within two years.”

Zimmer went 5-3 with a 2.85 ERA in 13 starts as a junior at USF.

Pablo Sandoval out of shape

The Giants‘ slugging third baseman has been on the DL with a fractured left hamate bone (a broken hand) since early May. During that time he reportedly has gained some weight—a fact that has Manager Bruce Bochy none too pleased.

“He’s been told we have enough first basemen,” Bochy said. “With that said, hopefully we’re not forced to make a change. It’s in Pablo’s hands. Before he comes up, it’s not just hitting, it’s going to be how he plays third base.”

Make a change? Not to read too much into it, but does that mean the Kung Fu Panda could be on the market? I know of at least five teams who would be just fine with his weight at third base, so long as his bat is still quick.

The inevitable Kevin Youkilis trade talk

As well as the Dodgers, D’backs and Phillies reportedly being interested in Youkilis if and when he becomes officially available, we can now toss the Texas Rangers into that hat.

Danny Knobler, a baseball Insider with CBSSports.com, reported that the Rangers have “checked on him,” according to sources. Knobler did not site a specific source.

There doesn’t seem to be much room for Youkilis in Arlington, and it is not known how serious the Rangers are about acquiring the 33-year-old. It would work out better if Boston wanted an everyday player in return; however, they will likely ask for a starting pitcher.

That may be a Texas-sized deal-breaker.

D’backs close to recalling two players

On July 20, 2011, D’backs shortstop Stephen Drew broke his ankle during a play at home plate. He has been out ever since. But according to Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com, he will begin a rehab assignment with the Reno Aces—Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate—on Thursday.

Manager Kirk Gibson said Drew could be in Reno up to three weeks, longer if need be.

“We’ll see how he does,” Gibson said. “With extended [spring-training games], he’s afforded more latitude…but now he’s going to be playing in a real game. He’s not going to be leading off every inning. He can’t be jogging down on a base hit. He’s going to be playing a competitive game.”

Also getting close is No. 3 overall pick from 2011, RHP Trevor Bauer.

The long-awaited arrival of the D’backs best prospect seems to be right around the corner. Who would be forced out of the starting rotation? Would Bauer become part of the bullpen at first?

Those questions may soon have answers.

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Desperate times call for desperate measures.

So it would seem in Boston.

Gold Glove first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has been relegated to playing right field as a result of another Gold Glove-winning first baseman coming back from his stint on the disabled list. Kevin Youkilis was activated today, and, as some expected, the move pushed Gonzo to the outfield.

The move may come across as irresponsible to some. After all, in his 1,059 career games played, Gonzalez has played the outfield exactly five times. Once in 2005, twice in 2011 and twice in 2012.

Now, Gonzo is a healthy veteran ball player, so it would make some sense to have the man play in right.

Even though Youkilis has played 22 games in the outfield (two in right versus 20 in left) during his 929 career games, returning to the lineup from a back injury would imply somewhat limited motion as he continues to adjust and return to ball playing form.

Back injuries are nothing to take lightly. Certainly, Boston Celtic fans from the end of the Larry Bird era know the devastating effects that can occur and break down a once great player.

I am in favor of leaving Will Middlebrooks at third base. The kid has been red hot for the Sox, and it would be counterproductive for the team to send him and his .297 batting average, 22 hits (11 of which for extra bases) and 16 RBI in just 18 games back to triple-A.

If he were to keep up that production over 162 games, Middlebrooks would finish with 198 hits, 45 home runs, 144 RBI, 18 stolen bases and 108 runs scored. In other words, he could develop into an MVP-caliber player for Boston.

The kid needs to stay at third and further his development. Youkilis, therefore, needs to play first base. It is a position that requires less range than third base and will return him to a position of comfort.

It is no secret that the Boston Red Sox will trade Youk. While having Adrian Gonzalez in the outfield is not the idea situation, the team has been hamstrung with injuries to Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, Ryan Sweeney, Cody Ross and Ryan Kalish. 

No rational fan would sit Gonzo in favor of Daniel Nava.

Hopefully, the experiment is short, as a slow Gonzalez trolling right field is not a sound defensive option (not to mention it increases the risk of injury to your marquee player); it is the most logical move the team can make at the moment with a recovering pitching staff.

The offense is needed; therefore, Gonzo is needed to take one for the team, whether he likes it or not.

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Major League Baseball’s non-waiver claim trade deadline is still well over two months away; however, the Milwaukee Brewers—per usual—have wasted no time in vocalizing their needs and interests within the trade market.

After watching long-time first baseman Prince Fielder walk through free agency last January and grimacing at 26-year-old replacement first baseman Mat Gamel tearing his ACL earlier this month, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin reportedly searched the free-agent market for a veteran first baseman to help provide depth. Reports indicated that Melvin contacted 37-year-old first baseman Derrek Lee a few days back, though a potential contract never came to fruition.

Now, it seems Melvin could shift his attention to the trade market. MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds voiced his opinion about a move that could fix Milwaukee’s current situation at first base. What he said was rather surprising.

Reynolds claimed that the Brewers should attempt to trade setup man Francisco Rodriguez for 33-year-old Boston Red Sox first baseman/utility infielder Kevin Youkilis. The biggest question worth asking at this juncture is if such a deal is a legitimate possibility.

Rodriguez, who the Brewers acquired shortly after the All-Star Game last summer, has struggled considerably this season, posting a 5.28 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 15.1 innings of work. The least attractive part of his ineffectiveness, however, is that he’s due to receive $8 million by the end of this season.

Many surmised that Milwaukee would keep Rodriguez throughout the 2012 season despite his hefty contract. Now that manager Ron Roenicke and company find themselves sitting at 14-18 through Saturday, second to last in the NL Central, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Melvin actively shopping his veteran setup man for a quality first baseman—possibly even Youkilis.

Likewise with Milwaukee, the Boston Red Sox have looked nothing short of appalling thus far. Coming into Saturday’s action, Bobby Valentine’s crew boasted a 13-19 record good enough to place last in the highly competitive American League East division.

Valentine has labored to keep clubhouse continuity and has moreover grappled with Youkilis on a few occasions. Youkilis has garnered a .219/.292/.344 line with just two home runs this season, and is due to make $13 million by the end of 2012.

The promotion and palpable success of third base prospect Will Middlebrooks has taken away some of Youkilis’ playing time. Couple that with his distaste toward Valentine and a lofty contract, and it seems the writing could be on the wall for Youkilis. Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com certainly believes it.

Having said that, is a deal between these two needy clubs a possibility?

For the Brewers, who have already come out to say that they’re committed to winning this season, that could be a definite possibility. Owner Mark Attanasio had this to say to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy ealier this week:

“We’re only [27] games in,” he said. “It’s going to depend where we’re at, at that point in time. Look at where we were when we added CC [Sabathia]. We were over .500, but we were several games back.”

The Brewers have a reputation for making big deadline deals (see CC Sabathia), and I highly doubt that their historical trade deadline aggressiveness will subside this season. Bringing in a veteran presence such as Youkilis could be the difference between making the postseason and watching at home.

For the Red Sox, who after losing longtime closer Jonathan Papelbon witnessed newly acquired closer Andrew Bailey go to the disabled list with an injured thumb, the need for an effective relief arm is clearly there.

Throw all that together, and a deal may not be as farfetched as originally thought.

Alec Dopp covers the Milwaukee Brewers as a featured columnist at Bleacher Report.  Follow him on Twitter @alecdopp and read his blog.

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The debate is raging all over Boston: When Kevin Youkilis returns to the Red Sox lineup in the next couple of weeks, what will the team do?

Will they move Will Middlebrooks and his .381 batting average, .409 on-base percentage and .953 slugging percentage back down to Triple-A Pawtucket?

With that, Middlebrooks should probably take his three home runs (one of which being a grand slam) and nine RBI with him, right?

The fact of the matter is that Middlebrooks has proven himself to be a solid player in his short time in Boston. Whether you are in the Youth or Youk camp, you surely can see the forest for the trees: Youkilis will not finish the 2012 season as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

True, the Sox may very well be forced to send Middlebrooks back down for a spell to increase the Youk’s. Right now, his stock is pretty low, so in that scenario, at least both players will be allowed to play every day.

However, what if Middlebrooks steadily keeps up this production for the next couple of weeks? How then does the front office justify moving him down?

Presumably ownership is already placing calls to gauge interest for Youk, and there are three teams that appear to make sense as trade partners.

Oakland Athletics

Yes, I’ve read and seen Moneyball, too. 

Oakland appears to be the sexy pick that everyone assumes because of the whole Moneyball logic. While I’m sure Billy Beane would gladly accept Youkilis on his team, it would be at an incredibly discounted rate.

More of the same ol’ thing—the Red Sox eating contracts.

However, right now the A’s have Brandon Inge playing third for them and Daric Barton playing first. Youk could serve either position for the A’s and re-align himself with his best buddy, Manny Ramirez, who will be DH’ing for Oak-town.

Frankly, though, I see this as the least likeliest scenario.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies, like the Red Sox, are in need of offense.

Unlike the Red Sox, though, the Phillies actually have the pitching.

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are on the shelf right now. The Phils have Ty Wigginton at first and Placido Polanco at third. 

While both players have been serviceable, they have combined for a .277 average with 16 RBI and two home runs. That is not exactly ripping the cover off the ball.

Youkilis could provide the team with a bit more stability and offense if he indeed is healthy.

Cincinnati Reds

Everything in life is cyclical, right?

Youkilis could return to his home state and play for the local nine. With Scott Rolen batting a measly .179 at third for the Reds, Youkilis could serve as an immediate improvement for the team.

Just imagine that middle of the lineup with him in Cincinnati: Youkilis, Joey Votto then Jay Bruce—scary, right?

This is the scenario that I see making the most sense. The Reds are a team that has been on the balance beam for the past couple of seasons, and they need just a slight edge to put them over the top.

Youk can provide that little tip.

Whatever should happen, the next couple of weeks in Boston will be flooded with trade scenarios and chatter.  

Might as well strap in, because things will be getting interesting.

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After a career that seemed to be built on toughness and durability, all of a sudden, Boston Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis is becoming a major question mark health-wise.

The Red Sox announced their lineup early Tuesday afternoon, and for the third straight game, Youk was scratched due to what’s currently being called back pain, and nothing more.

Youkilis has struggled out of the gate thus far, hitting just .219 with two HR and nine RBI. Last year, Youkilis posted the lowest batting average of his career (.258) with 17 HR and 80 RBI, missing 42 games during the season with an assortment of injuries, including the final two weeks of the season during which the Red Sox completed their spectacular freefall, losing the AL wild-card slot to the Tampa Bay Rays on the final day of the regular season.

While there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Youkilis’ slow start is tied in to his current back pain, one certainly has to wonder if the pain currently being experienced by Youkilis is in fact the cause of his early season woes at the plate.

Nick Punto will replace Youk in the lineup for Tuesday night’s game against the Oakland A’s. However, if Youk is indeed headed to the disabled list, is it now time for the debut of Sox prospect Will Middlebrooks?

Middlebrooks, a fifth-round selection by the Red Sox in the 2007 MLB draft, is currently tearing the cover off the ball at Triple-A Pawucket—a .348 average, nine HR and 27 RBI in his first 23 games, with a .708 slugging percentage and 1.108 OPS to boot.

Middlebrooks is clearly the Red Sox third baseman of the future, and while I’m certainly not ready to call Youkilis over the hill or on the downside of his career, at 33 years of age, Youk is clearly showing signs of wear and tear.

The Red Sox offense has certainly heated up over the past 10 days, and they have largely done so without the bat of Youkilis. Why not give him time to heal what ails him and give Middlebrooks a good long look?

At the very least, the Sox get to see what Middlebrooks is made of, and Youk can take the proper time to heal. Back muscles are certainly much in play for any hitter, and strength, as well as bat speed, can be severely compromised as a result.

While it may not be Middlebrooks’ time full-time quite yet, it just may be his time to shine in the short-term.

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle. Follow Doug on Twitter, @Sports_A_Holic.

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Saturday was not a good day to be an All-Star third baseman in Major League Baseball. Ryan Zimmerman, Adrian Beltre and Kevin Youkilis either did not start or were pulled from their games due to injuries.

The Nationals’ Zimmerman was the first third basemen to fall victim when he was scratched from the lineup due to mild right shoulder inflammation. According to William Ladson, there is no structural damage to the shoulder.

The Nats have a day off on Monday, so they might opt to let Zimmerman have a long weekend of rest in hopes to reduce the inflammation.

Beltre of the Texas Rangers was the next one to go down on Saturday. He came up lame on a double in the second inning and was removed from the game. Jeff Wilson reported that Beltre is day-to-day with a strained left hamstring.

Beltre told reporters that he does not think the hamstring injury is as severe as last year when he was forced to miss five weeks. Richard Durrett reports that Beltre “hopes to play back in Tex where weather is warmer.”

It sounds somewhat optimistic that Beltre is ready to return by Monday when they return back to Texas.

The final victim of Saturday was Boston Red Sox third baseman Youkilis. He was removed from the game after he was hit by a pitch in the left thigh by New York Yankees relief pitcher David Phelps. According to Ken Rosenthal, Youkilis left the game with a left quad contusion.

Overall, there is a lot of uncertainty and concern for the Nationals, Rangers and Red Sox. These guys are key to the success of their ballclubs, and they will have to wait and see how each of their injuries progress.

Follow @NargOnSports

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Everything Bobby Valentine does is calculated. He’s been that way ever since the public has gotten to know him as a manager and baseball personality. He’s a well-educated man who has made his career studying, analyzing and predicting. It should come as no surprise when he adopts the same principles in dealing with people. No matter what situation you put Bobby Valentine in, he’s going to access it, identify what needs to be done and follow the course that he thinks is best, without apology.

The Red Sox and their fans knew what they were getting when they hired him, and the stirring of controversy two weeks into the season is simply a validation that he is, in fact, the same man everybody thought he was.

However, there is a simple fact that gets lost amidst the clamor of injustice and audacity. Bobby Valentine is a self-centered manager. Not in the sense that he only does what’s best for himself, but simply that he likes to put himself at the center of attention. Many Red Sox fans are currently finding this to be an abrasive trait, especially after the laid back years led by Terry Francona, but the truth is, Valentine’s way is actually better for his players.

A perfect example of this occurred a couple of days ago when he publicly questioned the motivation of Kevin Youkilis, one of the team’s hardest-working players. Red Sox players were offended. Red Sox Nation was appalled, but Bobby Valentine was just doing what he has always done, and he wasn’t in the wrong. 

A natural side effect of Bobby Valentine’s self-centered style is that he deflects attention from his players. The media and fans were all over him in response to the comments about Youkilis. Look closely at the reaction and it’s easy to see why Valentine was onto something. 

The comment was not designed to make Youkilis motivate himself, as some people have suggested. It was about taking his mind away from his struggles. 

Kevin Youkilis is an aging player at a demanding position who hasn’t proven that he can stay healthy. He’s in the last year of his contract with the only team he has ever played for and his production is dipping. Yet, once Bobby Valentine opened his mouth, the casual fan would have thought that Youkilis was the reigning MVP off to a torrid start. The entire Red Sox team, the fanbase and the media all hurried to Youkilis’ defense. Articles and quotes were released discussing how good Youkilis is and how he is the heart and soul of the team.

The one thing nobody was mentioning? The poor production and realistic possibility that Kevin Youkilis may be near the end of a great career.

Most people liken Kevin Youkilis to past Red Sox fan favorite Trot Nixon. Trot was also a fanatical worker and skilled player who brought tremendous energy and solid production despite not fitting the aesthetic of a professional athlete. He also played every inning like it was his last. Consequently, Nixon’s body started to wear down early, leading to his retirement at the age of 34. Who’s to say that Youkilis isn’t far behind? 

In today’s world of intense media scrutiny and harassment of players, these are the type of connections that do not go unnoticed or unasked. Yet, Bobby Valentine was able to take all that away. If he had defended Youkilis, people would have questioned whether or not he was covering up a real problem. If he had remained silent, the attention would have eventually turned to Youkilis after another bad game or two. Instead, Valentine made himself the focus of the spotlight. He made it all about him.

Like it or not, it’s what Valentine does and he does it well.

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