Phillies Notes: Hot on Kevin Youkilis, Plus Other 3B Options

Perhaps one of the first free agents to sign with the Phillies this offseason will be Kevin Youkilis, They're one of a few teams interested in the veteran corner infielder, as the Phillies and Dodgers have him on their radar, and the White Sox would like to re-sign him.

Youkilis is a player the Phillies should target as the top third baseman on the thin free agent marke. What is not clear is how far they would go to attempt to sign the 33-year-old infielder. He appears to be a good fit in the short term, filling a need at third base and as a right-handed bat in the batting order. Presumably, the Phillies would be able to offer him an everyday job, something he is looking for.

Signing Youkilis would still appear to be a longshot for the Phillies with the Dodgers deep pockets in the mix. The White Sox, where he played last season after being traded by the Red Sox, would most likely be very high on his list.

The Phillies, who have openings at both third base and in the outfield, checked in with the recently released Chone Figgins, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  However, the extent of the club's interest is unclear at this time.

Another possibility is power-hitter Mark Reynolds, who has hit 181 homers in six seasons.  Reynolds was added to the potential pool on Friday night when the Baltimore Orioles didn’t offer him a contract. But Reynolds has 114 errors in 655 games at third base and the Orioles moved him to first base last season.  He provides a power right-handed bat, but also adds a boat-load of strikeouts.