The key to the offseason
Had it not been for the existence of Kevin Youkilis, then Adrian Gonzalez might be working out right now in Arizona, where the San Diego Padres train, or with a team other than the Red Sox.
Because Youkilis has the versatility to leave behind a position at which he has won a Gold Glove Award for another, without missing a beat, the Sox had the ability to acquire Gonzalez. It is a point not lost on management.
"Fortunately, for us as an organization, he can do it, and because of that we can get Gonzalez," manager Terry Francona said this week. "If he couldn’t do it, that [opportunity] probably wouldn’t have been there."
Regardless of who was playing first, the club may be better off with Youkilis at third.
As good as he was at first, Youkilis has always had his eye on third. Already in camp, it appears as if he has a little more hop in his step, knowing he will be playing his more natural position all season, barring anything unforeseen — since becoming a regular in 2006, Youkilis has played in just 130 games at third.
That comfort level with the hot corner has shown in his production over the years. As a third baseman, Youkilis owns a .917 OPS, compared to .893 at first and .766 as a left fielder, a role he has had for a small handful of games.
There may not be much to those numbers, but the simple fact that Youkilis has the ability to move across the diamond and make room for someone like Gonzalez could cause them to go up even more. Youkilis figures to be smack dab in the middle of Boston's best lineup in years (he said earlier in the week he is happy batting anywhere from "two through nine"). The prospect of having Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Carl Crawford and Gonzalez setting the table and David Ortiz and J.D. Drew providing protection has the 32-year-old Youkilis in a great position to succeed this year.
Youkilis had his 2010 season cut short when he tore a tendon in his thumb. On a road trip just prior to his finale, he had already been feeling pain in that area. Despite that, he hit .397 (25-for-63) with seven doubles and a homer in the 16 games prior to the one in which he left for good. On a team that was hurting, so was Youkilis, yet he had been doing everything to carry the club through the dog days.
It is that sort of stretch that has endeared Youkilis to fans and teammates alike over the years. He gets an extra dose of love this year for being the man that made the Gonzalez trade possible.
Other options
If you have been following our position previews this week, then you know that Jed Lowrie is a popular name in this section. He will serve as the backup for Youkilis, in all likelihood, and is capable of holding down the position for an extended period of time. Francona has said several times that he feels as if Lowrie's best position is third base.
If all else fails
Yamaico Navarro would get the first crack at things if both Youkilis and Lowrie were unavailable. Hector Luna is in camp this year as a non-roster invitee. After that, the Sox would have to search outside of the organization for help.
