Having what's widely considered to be one of baseball's weakest farm systems has never stopped Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams from making mid-season trades before, and it looks like the South Siders could be on the brink of another major transaction. A report on Friday by ESPN's Buster Olney had the White Sox as the frontrunners for Boston Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis.
Third base has been held down, underwhelmingly, by Brent Moral and Orlando Hudson for the White Sox this season. The as the South Siders' offense continues to sputter, the hot corner is the obvious place for an upgrade as the White Sox continue to fight a division lead in the A.L. Central.
Youkilis was a staple on a pair of World Series winning teams in Boston in 2004 and 2006, but the 33-year old has struggled to hit this season. The emergence of 23-year old third baseman Will Middlebrooks has made Youk -- once coined as "The Greek God of Walks" in Michael Lewis' Moneyball -- expendable.
Boston Globe reporter Pete Abraham speculated Youkilis will go for a "B-/C+" prospect, which is good news for the White Sox. They really don't have anything in the farm system much better than that.
Youkilis is hitting .225/.311/.359 this season in Boston with four homers and 13 RBI. From 2008-2010, he was one of the best hitters in baseball, posting an OPS of .959 or higher in three consecutive seasons.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are also considered a top suitor for Youkilis.
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