Youkilis joins Yanks at third
Kevin Youkilis and the Yankees reached a deal Tuesday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, returning the hard-nosed All-Star to the AL East and filling New York’s immediate need for a third baseman.
The one-year contract for $12 million is pending a physical. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement.
Youkilis is expected to play third base while Alex
Rodriguez recovers from hip surgery. Rodriguez plans to have the surgery in mid-January and could be sidelined until the All-Star break or beyond.
Eric Chavez, A-Rod’s backup for most of last season, joined Arizona last week. The Yankees considered several options as a stop-gap at third, including Jeff Keppinger and Mark Reynolds, but both accepted deals with other teams.
The Yankees made the offer to Youkilis last week at the baseball winter meetings. Youkilis turns 34 in March. He played third base and first base last season for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox.
Youkilis was traded to the White Sox last June as Boston’s new management reshaped the Red Sox roster. He combined to hit a career-low .235 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs.
An All-Star in 2008, 2009 and 2011, Youkilis won a Gold Glove at first base in 2007. He is a .283 hitter with 148 home runs in nine seasons, and was on Boston teams that won the World Series in 2004 and 2007.
Youkilis could also play first base to give Mark Teixeira a break and could be the designated hitter.