Olney: Teams Waiting For Red Sox To Get "Desperate" With Youkilis

Buster Olney, speaking to WEEI, said what is likely obvious due to the fact that Kevin Youkilis is still on the Red Sox, despite the presence and success of rookie Will Middlebrooks: while a market exists for the third baseman, it's not one where anyone is willing to give much of a return at the moment:

Olney said Kevin Youkilis, rumored to be on the trading block, doesn't have much value. He added it's a buyer's market in any deals involving Youkilis, where general managers are waiting for the Red Sox to become desperate enough to give up the infielder for little in return.

"The other GMs are saying because the Red Sox will get so little in return, other than clearing a spot for other players, they don't think the Red Sox are going to make a rush to make a move on Youkilis," Olney said.

If Youkilis continues to scuffle at the plate, Boston isn't likely to hold that position for very long. Especially once -- as Olney mentions, as well -- the likes of Cody Ross, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carl Crawford return, and Boston's outfield is all of a sudden far too crowded to be holding on to Middlebrooks, Youkilis, and the idea of Adrian Gonzalez, Right Fielder on one roster.

The idea is to hold out and get more for Youkilis, in the hopes someone else -- the Pirates, perhaps? -- get desperate before the Red Sox do. But once the outfield is filling up, and we're a little further ahead in the season, those hopes are going to have run out of time if things haven't changed.