MLB Rumors: Cleveland Indians Should Move Quickly to Acquire Kevin Youkilis

The Cleveland Indians have already acquired one former Boston Red Sox star this season, as they signed Johnny Damon off the MLB free-agent scrapheap back in April.

It sounds like they could add another before long. According to ESPN.com baseball guru Jerry Crasnick, the Indians are one of at least two teams that are scouting Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis during his brief rehab assignment:

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#Indians and #Phillies are among the teams monitoring Kevin Youkilis in his minor league rehab, says a BB source. #RedSox

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) May 20, 2012"

Crasnick followed this tweet by noting that nothing is imminent between the Indians and Red Sox:

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The #Indians could use a RH bat, but a source says they haven't talked to #RedSox about Youkilis.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) May 20, 2012"

It makes sense. The Indians may be scouting Youk, but that doesn't mean they're dying to trade for him just yet.

They're going to have to make a decision soon, however. Youkilis is expected to rejoin the Red Sox this week, possibly as early as Tuesday. When he does, it will surely be just a matter of time before he is traded out of Boston to make way for Will Middlebrooks to become an everyday player.

We know the Phillies are interested, and Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe wrote this weekend that the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds may all get involved. All four of those teams need some offense at third base, and Youk is the best option on the trade market until further notice.

The Indians are in the Youk discussion for a different reason, and that very reason is what makes their involvement a little more intriguing.

The Indians don't really need help at the hot corner. Jack Hannahan has been much better than advertised at the plate this season, and he's also an above-average defensive third baseman. He's not a problem that needs to be solved.

But Youk isn't strictly a third baseman. His best years came when he was manning first base for the Red Sox, and that's a position where the Indians could very much use some help.

According to FanGraphs, the Cleveland first basemen are providing an OPS of .611, which is third-worst in the American League ahead of the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Angels and not likely to last considering Eric Hosmer and Albert Pujols are both good hitters.

Nothing like that can be taken for granted when it comes to Casey Kotchman, who is batting a mere .208 on the season. To make matters worse, he's struggling defensively too.

At the very least, the Indians would have a right-handed hitter who could platoon with Kotchman if they acquired Youkilis. More likely, they'd had a much-needed right-handed hitter who could play at first on an everyday basis.

This would be ideal not just for the Indians, but for Youkilis as well. He's a below-average defensive third baseman, and his body hasn't exactly held up well in the rigors of the hot corner over the last year or so. No doubt he would welcome a move back across the diamond to first base, where he won a well-deserved Gold Glove in 2007.

In and of itself, that switch would help alleviate some of the concerns that a team trading for Youkilis is bound to have. It's not a given that he'll go back to hitting like his old self if he were to play every day at first, but playing every day at first certainly couldn't hurt. It's also an opportunity that the other teams in the mix for Youk's services can't really match.

Full disclosure: I wrote last week that Youk would be a great fit for the Phillies. I'll hold to that simply because they need offense at the hot corner and because he'd be perfect for Citizens Bank Park, but that doesn't mean I can't say the Indians are an even better fit for Youkilis.

The first base dynamic has a lot to do with that, but there's also the notion that Cleveland would be a great place for Youk to be energized by a change of scenery. In Cleveland, he'd find himself on a first-place team that is well-stocked with young, energetic players.

Given all he's been through in Boston over the last year, a change like that would be most welcome.

If the Indians are going to make this deal, though, they should do it sooner rather than later. If they wait, they could see Youk send his trade value through the stratosphere, meaning they'd have to get into a hotly-contested bidding war with several other clubs for his services.

That's obviously what the Red Sox are hoping for, but they surely won't be foolish enough to pass on a good offer for Youk if they get one in the near future. After all, it's not a given that he will boost his trade value in the coming days and weeks. If the Indians come calling with a quality arm and an intriguing prospect or two, the Red Sox will listen.

Trading for Youk while his value is still low is a risk, no doubt about that. It's a risk the Indians can take, however. They have the best set of circumstances to offer Youk, and they wouldn't be committed to him for the long haul. He has a $13 million club option for next season that the Indians could decline for a small fee ($1 million).

This Indians team is in a position to win now, and Kevin Youkilis is the guy who would help.