Baltimore Orioles: Why the Orioles Should Not Make a Move for Kevin Youkilis

With the emergence of Will Middlebrooks following the injury sustained by Kevin Youkilis, it appears Red Sox management will try and move the former All-Star. There has been some speculation that the upstart Baltimore Orioles may bring in Youkilis.

The Orioles have had their share of issues at third base this season so bringing in Youkilis seems like a match made in heaven.

But there are complications that make bringing in Youkilis a mistake unless the Red Sox are willing to deal him for almost nothing, which is extremely unlikely since there are several teams that could make a push for the "Greek God of Walks."

As it stands right now, it seems very unlikely that Youkilis will play for Baltimore at any point this season and here is why.

Division Rival

One of the more obvious reasons Youkilis will not play in Baltimore this season is that the Orioles and Red Sox are in direct competition as a part of the A.L. East.

The fact is, right now the Orioles are a better all around baseball club right now than the Red Sox.

The Sox would most likely not want to boost an Orioles lineup by trading away a fan-favorite of their own.

Could you imagine the backlash the Red Sox faithful would have against the Boston front office if Youkilis was to return to his old form and help the O's make a playoff run with the Sox continuing to struggle?

Because the O's and Sox still meet many more times this season, it doesn't appear the Red Sox would be willing to ship Youkilis to Baltimore if they have a choice.

Health Concerns and Decline in Perfromance

Those in favor of bringing in Youkilis need to remember why he could be moved in the first place. He keeps getting hurt.

If it wasn't for an Youkilis' injury Middlebrooks wouldn't of even been in the big leagues. This isn't Youkilis first injury either. He hasn't played in more than 120 games since 2009 so it is unlikely that he will be able to suit up day in and day out even once he is recovered from this most recent injury.

Another problem with bringing in Youkilis is that he simply isn't the same player he was a few seasons back.

Even if one ignores his struggles in the 18 games he has played this season, Youkilis' OPS has taken a major dip in a short period of time. His OPS was never below .958 from 2008 to 2010, but dropped to .833 in 2011.

Now an .833 OPS is by no means a bad season. In fact, it is pretty good. But considering he was among the league leaders for the three previous seasons, the drop in production should raise some red flags.

Recent injuries and a drop in production will probably keep the Orioles from pushing real hard to bring in Youkilis.

Price Tag

Many believe that the Red Sox will be selling Youkilis on the cheap. That is insane.

The Sox will keep Youkilis if they don't receive healthy compensation for the three time All-Star.

It would probably take a decent prospect and some arms to help with a Red Sox bullpen that has had some injuries.

The O's may have to include a prospect like Jonathan Schoop or Xavier Avery in a package with a reliever like Matt Lindstrom to bring in Youkilis.

The Orioles have a top-heavy farm system right now. They have players with star potential like Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy, but there is a major falloff after the top five or six youngsters.

I doubt the O's would want to deal one of those precious prospects and a power bullpen arm like Lindstrom for an aging and fragile Youkilis.

Log Jam at Thirdbase

Another reason the Orioles will likely hold off on bringing in Youkilis is that they simply have enough options at that position right now.

Wilson Betemit and Mark Reynolds, who is on the DL right now, will make the majority of starts in the hot corner. Both are more comfortable defensively at first base but because of the development of Chris Davis are forced to play third, where they struggle.

Most people believe that Reynolds needs to be shipped out of town and is absolutely terrible, but the guy gets on base and hits home runs. His OPS led the Orioles last season at .806 and he hit 37 bombs despite starting slowly like he has this season. Youkilis played in 35 less games and his OPS was .833, not a huge boost over Reynolds who batted in a lineup with much less production around him.

The O's also have Ryan Flaherty who manager Buck Showalter has said the Orioles will look at closely this season who will make some starts at third.

Bringing Youkilis to Baltimore seems unlikely because he offers only slightly more production offensively, and he isn't exactly Brooks Robinson at third either. He is a much better defensive first baseman. The O's will simply live what they have at third rather than pay a hefty price for not much better.