Much has been written recently (and in the case of Teixeira, last year) about the Sox acquiring a big bat for the 1st base position and moving Youk from 1st back to 3rd base, and trading Lowell while eating 1/2 his pay.

This post is not about trading Lowell, it is about which position Youk plays- would the Sox be better served with him playing 1st or 3rd? If you look at his fielding statistics at both positions over the years, his FA is better at 1st.

I also read somewhere that since playing 1st base for a couple of years, that he has more of a 1st baseman's 'build' than a 3rd baseman. I wish I knew where I read that, and what it means.

So where would the Sox be better off, with Youk at 1st, or at 3rd?

I think Youk can still play a solid third base but his range is not great. The teams defense does not drop off too much with him at third so it wouldn't hurt to move him if the need arises but in a perfect world he stays at first.

But what do they mean when they say he has a better 'build' for a 1st baseman than a 3rd baseman?