The New York Yankees are turning to an unlikely source to help soften the blow of an Alex Rodriguez injury: free agent third baseman Kevin Youkilis.
The former Boston Red Sox star was traded to the Chicago White Sox last season and could be a valuable replacement for Rodriguez while he rehabilitates from hip surgery.
According to sources from ESPN.com, the deal offered to Youkilis is a one-year, $12 million contract, which is about the same amount he made last season. Youkilis is also being pursued by the Cleveland Indians.
Terry Francona, Youkilis's former manager while in Boston, is the current manager of the Indians after being hired by the team in the offseason. The 33-year-old hit .235 with 19 home runs and 60 RBIs with both Boston and Chicago last year and is a sure-handed fielder with power.
According to Jack Curry of the YES Network from Twitter:
"With ARod out, Yanks have spoken with Kevin Youkilis's agent. Word is that Youk would consider 1-year deal if money was at premium amount."
The Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman had previously been looking at other options to replace Rodriguez, including free agent Jeff Keppinger and third baseman Eric Chavez, who was with the team last season.
"I've got all my stuff out there," Yankees GM Brian Cashman said to the Daily News as the meetings came to an end. "We'll see where it takes us."
According to ESPN.com, the Yankees discussed a two-year, $10 million deal with Keppinger, but he decided to sign a three-year deal worth $12 million with the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Chavez was a solid bench player for the Yankees last season, but he agreed a one-year deal worth $3 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks instead of returning to the Bronx.
"Most of my conversations were, 'Where are you at in the marketplace and what is it going to take?,' " Cashman said, according to ESPNNewYork.com. "They would give me that information, I would say, 'I appreciate it,' and we didn't make an offer."
With those two options off the table, the Yankees don't have many other choices when it comes to third base. Fox Sports reported after the injury that Rodriguez may miss 3-6 months following hip surgery that will take place in February, while WEEI in Boston said he could be out even longer than six months.
The Yankees have other players on the roster that could take over at third base, including Jayson Nix, who played the majority of third base while Rodriguez was out last season, and also Eduardo Nunez, who has experience at third, but is seen as a shortstop by Cashman.
The surgery for Rodriguez will be his second hip operation, but his first on the left side. The third baseman with be 38-years-old next season and still owed over $100 million on his contract, which runs to 2017. Last season he missed time with a wrist injury and hit for a .272 average with 18 home runs and 57 RBIs in 122 games.
Rodriguez last had hip surgery in 2009, after which he helped carry the Yankees to a World Series championship by hitting .365, with six home runs and 18 RBIs in 15 games during the postseason.
Youkilis would be an upgrade to Chavez and the other options because of his power. Rodriguez had an awful run through the playoffs and looked as though he might not ever hit another home run. He was benched multiple times after hitting .120 with three hits in seven games and had a 0-for-18 steak with 12 strikeouts during the playoff run last season.
Youkilis won a Gold Glove in 2007 and has averaged 16 home runs and 67 RBIs during his eight-year career. His best season in Boston came in 2008 when he hit .312 with 115 RBIs, 29 home runs and 43 doubles with an OBP of .390.
He won two World Series in Boston and was part of the 2004 team that cam back from 3-0 down to beat the Yankees in the American League Championship series. Youkilis is a three-time All-Star and has career totals of 148 home runs, 610 RBIs and a .283 batting average.
The Yankees did not make any formal contract offers to free agents at the winter meetings, but are expected to make more moves, including signing an outfielder to replace Nick Swisher.
"We have spent money; we spent money on Kuroda, Pettitte and Mariano," Cashman said. "It was a lot on one-year basis. I don't feel like we're not having a productive winter. Ideal like we're being deliberate and we are being slow, and every one of your missed opportunities, that stuff happens. When the dust settles, we're going to be a team that people aren't comfortable playing."
The Yankees are currently trying to bring payroll down to $189 million in the next two years and are reluctant to sign anyone to a long-term contract. The team has signed aging pitchers Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, but still need more arms in the bullpen.
"We are taking things step by step," Cashman said.
According to ESPNNewYork.com, the team is also listening to offers for center fielder Curtis Granderson and starting pitcher Ivan Nova, as well as former-untouchable player Phil Hughes. The two pitchers will be free agents following next season, while Granderson had one of his worst hitting seasons, batting only .232 last year.
Possible options for third base include a trade for Michael Young of the Texas Rangers, as well as Mark Reynolds of the Baltimore Orioles. Young hit only .277 last season but is one of the best defensive third baseman in baseball. Reynolds is known mostly for his power after hitting 23 home runs last season, but he also had a 29.6 percent strikeout rate.
Since Rodriguez has been injured, some critics have said that his admitted steroid use is to blame for his body breaking down. Once considered the best home run hitter in baseball, Rodriguez has been hampered by injuries in recent years to his legs and his wrist, which he broke last season.
The past two seasons Rodriguez has only hit 34 home runs in 221 combined games and has struck out 194 times. He has 647 career home runs and once appeared to be a lock to break the career-record of 762, which is held by Barry Bonds. With the injuries and the surgery, that number may now be too far out of reach.
