A Tribute to Youk: Does he deserve more money?

In 2007, Kevin Youkilis became a fan favorite for more reasons than the popular ǃ˙Youuuukǃ˘ chant that echoes throughout historic Fenway during each of his at-bats. In 2007, the Red Sox first baseman who was sometimes third baseman and formerly a left-fielder and actually a two-time second baseman, won a Gold Glove for his errorless season at the number three.

In 2007, Kevin Youkilis had the highest on-base percentage of any starter on a team that won the World Series. In 2007, Kevin Youkilis was compensated for his efforts with $424,500 or approximately 3% of the local nine’s $143 million plus payroll. Now, in 2008, can the Red Sox really justify their low-ball offer of 2.545 million after Youk has asked for $3.7 million? More importantly, will the organization risk upsetting the delicate chemistry within the clubhouse by forcing Youkilis to arbitration for the first time in general manager Theo Epstein’s tenure?

Although I’ll never be confused for John Kerry, I am known to change my mind once in awhile. I have to admit that being part of a network that has the best sabermetrics blog on the Internet has me considering the validity of those silly numbers called statistics. Let’s take a quick look at Kevin Youkilis’ numbers for his two full-time (250+ Abs) seasons with Boston.

Year G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG

+——+—+—-+—-+—-+—+–+—+—-+—+–+—+—

2006 147 569 100 159 42 2 13 72 91 120 .279 .381 .429

2007 145 528 85 152 35 2 16 83 77 105 .288 .390 .453

You don’t have to look far into the Red Sox roster to see why Youkilis might expect to be paid. Look at the contracts for Manny, Drew, Dice-K, and even Julio Logo. Coco Crisp, a player of superior yet comparable defensive prowess at his position yet offensively incompetent to Youk, is being paid $4.7 million in ’08. Crisp has clocked just over a year of service time more than the erroneously nicknamed ǃÚGreek God of Walks.’ First baseman Carlos Pena also enjoyed a career year for division rival and perennially cheap Tampa Bay; he signed a three year contract worth over $8 million per year.

Kevin Youkilis defines the offensive philosophy of the organization, as well as the heart of the Red Sox Nation. He is a hard-nosed on-base machine who plays to win. Never once during his torrid first half did Youkilis mention an off-season contract negotiation. He played hard, everyday, at multiple positions, and multiple spots in the batting order. If you ever questioned his true character, it showed during this year’s Fall Classic. Youkilis selflessly sat the bench while David Ortiz and eventual MVP Mike Lowell played the final two games of Boston’s sweep and Youk never opened his mouth to complain.

On the other hand, the Sox have young Lars Anderson waiting in the wings. Due around 2010, he is the best Red Sox first base prospect since Jeff Bagwell; consequently, Boston is determined not to lose him as they foolishly traded away Bagwell years ago. Do you take advantage of the arbitration system hoping Anderson develops on schedule to allow him to take over when Youkilis walks after his six years of service? Or, playing Devil’s Advocate, do you give a slight pay raise to a 29 year old coming off a career year who, at worst, projects to be a super utility man?

Keep in mind that the front office in Boston has just committed $12 million a year for the next three to a 34 year old third baseman. And that Manny has been hurt the past two years for a substantial amount of time in left field. Finally, that Ortiz simply can’t play first base for 50 games anymore, let alone 150. Anyone can realize the value of having a Kevin Youkilis on their team, but the question remains, at what price

The Boston Red Sox win because of their talent and their chemistry; it’s a proven formula throughout all sports. Let it be known, in this writer’s opinion, upsetting a key, humble, and dedicate player like Kevin Youkilis over a million dollars for one year is not worth the price the team would pay without him. Then again, if Youk can be resigned cheaper and traded for Mark Texieria ǃ∂

Note from Evan: I wanted to thank Peter Gammons for giving kudos to Fire Brand. It’s greatly appreciated to know that this blog gets some recognition, which I think it deserves. The amount of time each writer puts into the blog and the great discussion driven by the readers definitely makes this an excellent blog. Thank you all.

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