HBT: Youkilis trade talks heating up

According to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com, trade talks regarding Kevin Youkilis have ?intensified? over the past 24 to 48 hours.

While a deal isn?t considered imminent, one high-ranking official with a National League club said that the veteran third baseman is ?being shopped everywhere.? The report names the Diamondbacks, White Sox, Dodgers, Indians and Pirates among the teams who have expressed interest.

Youkilis is only hitting .215/.301/.341 with four home runs, 13 RBI and a .641 OPS through 39 games this season, including his current 1-for-21 (.048) stretch, so the Red Sox certainly aren?t selling high here. With that in mind, they have told teams that they are willing to include cash in order to get a better player in return. The 33-year-old is still owed roughly half of his $12 million salary for this season while his $13 million option for 2013 carries a $1 million buyout.

If Youkilis is moved, rookie Will Middlebrooks would take over the starting third base job in Boston.

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