Kuzul

The New York Yankees have found a new third baseman in former foe Kevin Youkilis.

FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the Yankees signed the free agent to a one-year deal worth $12 million.

To clarify on Youkilis and #Yankees: Two sides in agreement, one year, $12M. Deal almost certainly pending physical.

—Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 11, 2012

The story was subsequently confirmed by ESPNNewYork, who reported Youkilis will leave the Chicago White Sox for the Big Apple.

Youkilis is a former Gold Glove winner, who can play either first or third. He has career 162-game averages of .283 batting with 23 home runs and 96 RBI.

Youkilis is coming off a down year in 2012, hitting a combined .235 with 19 home runs and 60 RBI between stints with Chicago and the Boston Red Sox. However, he will play a major role with the Yankees in 2013. He’s replacing Alex Rodriguez, who is expected to miss at least the first half of the upcoming season due to offseason hip surgery.

Having spent the first eight-plus seasons of his career playing for the Yankees archrivals, New York fans have been used to booing Youkilis. However, once they see what the veteran brings to their team, he should quickly become a fan favorite.

Click through to see five reasons why Kevin Youkilis will be instantly loved by New York Yankee fans.

Begin Slideshow

Kevin Youkilis is no longer a free agent, as he’s agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal to become the newest member of the New York Yankees, as reported by Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter):

To clarify on Youkilis and #Yankees: Two sides in agreement, one year, $12M. Deal almost certainly pending physical.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 11, 2012

This was a move that the Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman, who have been widely lambasted by fans for their relative inaction during the Hot Stove League, needed to make.

Youkilis will take over at third base in place of the injured Alex Rodriguez, who will be out four-to-six months after he undergoes surgery on his left hip next month, according to ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand.

But that only begins to scratch the surface of why the nine-year major league veteran, who celebrates his 34th birthday at the end of March, will be a huge steal for the Yankees.

Take a look.

Youkilis is Actually an Upgrade Over A-Rod at Third Base

Crazy as it may sound, it’s true.

While Youkilis struggled to hit for average in 2012, both players appeared in 122 games, and their offensive production was similar:

A-Rod: .275 BA/.783 OPS, 18 HR, 57 RBI

Youk: .235 BA/.745 OPS, 19 HR, 60 RBI

Youkilis is still a quality defensive third baseman, though you might think otherwise by looking at his .964 fielding percentage, minus-6.2 UZR/150 and minus-1 DRS.

But those numbers are superior to A-Rod’s .957/minus-8.8/minus-2, and Youk committed only one more error than A-Rod did in 64 more chances.

Considering the Alternatives…

If the Yankees hadn’t signed Kevin Youkilis, they would have been in serious trouble trying to fill the void left by A-Rod’s injury.

The other third basemen available via free agency—Placido Polanco, Brandon Inge, Jose Lopez, Ty Wigginton and Scott Rolen—all leave something to be desired.

Internal options are almost nonexistent, with Eduardo Núñez a disaster with the glove and Jayson Nix or Double-A infielder David Adams better suited for middle infield roles.

One Player, Three Spots

Aside from becoming the primary third baseman in New York, Youkilis can easily slide into two other spots that the Yankees, as presently constituted, don’t have pieces to fill.

An outstanding defensive first baseman with a career fielding percentage of .997, a 7.3 UZR/150 and 45 DRS, Youkilis can spell Mark Teixeira at first base when the Gold Glover needs a day off.

Not only that, but the right-handed Youkilis can step into the designated hitter role when the Yankees are facing a lefty, as he posted a .275/.386/.492 hitting line against them in 2012.

For his career, Youk has a .298/,417/.511 hitting line against southpaws.

Kevin Youkilis isn’t the three-time All-Star who spent his formative years with the Boston Red Sox, but he remains a quality baseball player who leaves it all on the field and, by all accounts, is a phenomenal teammate.

His versatility will be invaluable for the Yankees, and by the time the 2013 comes to an end, it will be crystal clear why this was one of the steals of the winter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The New York Yankees reportedly have signed third baseman Kevin Youkilis to a one-year deal worth $12 million pending his physical, according to Fox Sports insider Ken Rosenthal. 

Source: #Yankees sign Youkilis, one year, $12M.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 11, 2012

The 33-year-old veteran will be the Opening Day starter at third for the Yankees as Alex Rodriguez continues to recover from an injury and surgery to his left hip.

As a former member of the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees are quite familiar with his style of play and his ability to work pitchers deep into counts.

He is also expected to DH from time to time and spell Mark Teixeira at first base. 

After a falling out last year with then-Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, Youkilis was shipped off to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Zach Stewart and outfielder Brent Lillibridge.

In half a season on the South Side, Youkilis hit 15 home runs and drove in 46.

The Yankees are able to fill a huge hole at third with this move.

Youkilis will actually make the same money in 2013, according to Cot’s Contracts, as he did this year.

Although Youkilis has been hampered by injuries—most notably to a shoulder—he is still a decent glove at third and a Gold Glove guy at first.

Yes, the average is down—hitting just .235 last year in Boston and Chicago—but his will to win has never got in the way.

That is part of why Youkilis was so revered during his years in Boston. He was the anti-Manny Ramirez. 

Kevin Youkilis is one of the most intense baseball players ever to play. Growing up in Cincinnati, his demeanor matches his childhood hero Pete Rose and another Reds player who succeeded with the Yankees in Paul O’Neill.

The money certainly is fine with this being just a one-year deal, and the story lines practically write themselves when Youkilis returns to Fenway in the road gray of the hated Yankees.

But what the Yankees get here is a guy who will run through a brick wall if he has too and put a fire under anyone else who seems to be dogging it.

If he is healthy, he will play an invaluable role as the Yankees try and retain their top place in the American League East. 

*Statistics via Baseball Reference.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

If you’re wondering what that sounds was, it was the collective groan coming out of Boston.

Why?

Kevin Youkilis is officially coming to the Bronx.

After weeks of speculation, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports broke the news on Twitter that the Yankees have officially signed the former Red Sox infielder.

Source: #Yankees sign Youkilis, one year, $12M.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 11, 2012

It’s for the one-year deal worth $12 million that the Yankees offered him last week just as the Baseball Winter Meetings ended in Nashville.

Youkilis will take the spot of the injured Alex Rodriguez, who will be sidelined for the summer with hip surgery.

And even if A-Rod comes back, there’s a good possibility that he may be moved to the designated hitter spot with Youkilis already on the team.

The 34-year-old split time between the Red Sox and White Sox in 2012 and was traded to Chicago back in June as part of the Red Sox “re-building mode.”

Youkilis now joins a list of players such as Babe Ruth, Johnny Damon, Wade Boggs and Roger Clemens—all former established Boston players who went on play for the Yankees.

While Youkilis had an offer from the Yankees, he also had an offer from the Indians for a two-year, $18 million contract, but the Tribe signed Mark Reynolds, which took Cleveland out of the running for Youkilis.

It seemed like it was inevitable that Youkilis was coming to New York, especially for the money that was being offered on the one-year deal.

It’ll be interesting to see how fans in the Bronx respond to Youkilis now after nine years in Boston.

Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Kevin Youkilis will look to rebound from a disappointing season by joining the New York Yankees on a one-year, $12 million contract, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports: 

Source: #Yankees sign Youkilis, one year, $12M.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 11, 2012

Youkilis comes off a season in which he posted a .336 on-base percentage in time split between the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. It was the lowest OBP of his career by a large margin, raising concerns about his ability to bounce back at age 33.

He became known as the “The Greek God of Walks” because of his terrific eye, but his walk rate dropped more than three percentage points last season. It was another worrisome sign that came at the wrong time for a player heading into free agency.

Yet despite the fading numbers, his prior track record helped him garner interest from multiple teams. After all, it was just two years ago that he posted a .975 OPS with 19 home runs in 102 games for Boston.

If he can return to that level—or somewhere close to it—it will be a terrific signing. It’s the type of risk teams often have to take in order to fill holes, especially in a weak free-agent market like this year’s.

The chances are, however, that Youkilis’ best days are behind him. It would be a major surprise to see him approach 30 home runs with a batting average above .300 again. Those type of comebacks are rare in the post-steroid era.

That said, he can still be a solid placeholder who will provide some pop in the bottom half of the lineup. Given a full complement of at-bats, he’s capable of hitting around 20 homers with an OBP that bounces back to the .360 range.

They aren’t outstanding numbers by any means, but they are definitely serviceable. It’s just important that fans don’t get too caught up in what he’s accomplished in the past when defining their expectations for next season.

All told, it’s a good fit for everybody involved.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

When the Chicago White Sox acquired Kevin Youkilis on June 24, they filled a very real need at third base. Now, as the MLB free-agency period begins, the White Sox must decide whether Youkilis fits into their plans for 2013.

The impact Youkilis provided to the White Sox was tangible. It seemed as though every hit over the first month he was in Chicago won a game. It was a marvelous time to be a White Sox fan.

Unfortunately, the season ended without a trip to the postseason and general manager Rick Hahn must now choose whether he wants to keep Youkilis in a White Sox uniform.

To be fair, Hahn stated during a radio interview Thursday on ESPN 1000’s “The Waddle and Silvy Show” that he would like to re-sign the third baseman, but only at a reduced price.

With teams like the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers bandied about on MLBTradeRumors.com as possible landing spots for the free agent, the likelihood Hahn gets his wish seems slim.

That is a good thing, because the White Sox are best served if Youkilis is not with the team in 2013 for 10 reasons.

@SuggestSmith

Begin Slideshow

With the 2012 World Series coming to an end, the offseason is now upon us. Ruben Amaro Jr. and his staff will begin the daunting task of trying to rebuild the Phillies into a championship team.

The Phillies have already cut ties with Placido Polanco, Ty Wigginton and Jose Contreras while picking up Carlos Ruiz’s 2013 option.

In order to compete for a title in 2013, the Phillies will have to fill most, if not all of their holes, which includes at least two outfield spots, third base, the bullpen and maybe even a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Here are five realistic offseason moves the Phillies should seriously consider. 

Begin Slideshow

President Barack Obama threw a gentle jab at the hard-hit Red Sox fans recently, and it gave way to Mitt Romney’s getting in on the game, despite the hackneyed results. 

President Obama was in Boston on Monday and took to the podium armed with some sports fodder. Here is the video many of you have seen by now. 

It features the president thanking Red Sox fans for giving his beloved White Sox the services of Kevin Youkilis. 

What commences has started a debate as controversial as the question of whether Tim Tebow is a worthwhile starting quarterback.

The crowd is vocal in their response, but we still have not settled on whether that is a chorus of “boos” or “Yoooouuuuks.”

Well, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate wanted to get in on the fun. SportsGrid directs our attention to a number of tweets from political reporter Matt Viser, from The Boston Globe.

Here is what Mitt Romney had to offer according to Viser:

Romney camp: “Last night in Boston, Pres Obama..committed an error by taunting fans over the Kevin Youkilis trade to the Chicago White Sox.”

— Matt Viser (@mviser) June 26, 2012

Continued below:

Romney camp on Youkilis: Obama “chose to mock them for trading away one of its favorite players at a time when the team is struggling.”

— Matt Viser (@mviser) June 26, 2012

The Obama camp answered back, making this a full-on war of meaningless words. 

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney stated the following, per Viser’s tweet:

Carney talks of “silly reporting” on Youkilis. But then attempts to make a broader point: Obama doesn’t pander. And won’t wear Red Sox caps.

— Matt Viser (@mviser) June 26, 2012

Yup, politics as usual is alive and well in Washington. 

I guess you can give brownie points to the president for the fact that he doesn’t do the usual pandering to each and every single fanbase, pretending to be a homer in every town. 

The video was chuckle worthy and actually made the president seem like a down-to-earth sports fan, boos or not. 

I mean, they did turn to cheers by the end. 

But now, the moment has taken an ugly turn into a political pissing match. Please stop now, both of you. 

Kevin Youkilis doesn’t deserve this much attention. 

Follow me on Twitter or else. 

Follow @gabezal

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Chicago White Sox are in the thick of things early on in the AL Central, and acquiring Kevin Youkilis could be a nice boost to their playoff hopes. Per ESPN, the Southsiders are considered the favorites to acquire the apparently very available Red Sox‘s third baseman.

Most didn’t expect the White Sox to contend in the AL Central, and now that they are in good position (only 1.5 games behind division-leading Cleveland), they must make the best of their contending status.

Youkilis is known as the Greek God of Walks due to his patience and eye at the plate. That approach could benefit the White Sox. The team has drawn only 213 walks this season, which is just below the leave average of 218.

Youkilis’ ability to draw the free pass has waned over the past couple years, but I attribute much of that to him battling injuries. I believe that the recent decrease in playing time and the rehab assignments have allowed him to get as healthy as he’s been in over two years.

Now, he just needs the at-bats. 

With the White Sox, Youkilis would get an opportunity to play regularly, if not every day.

The current player logging the most time at third base for the White Sox is Orlando Hudson. The O-Dog has been a huge disappointment, as he is almost literally hitting his weight. If he were Prince Fielder’s size, then that would be acceptable. But Hudson is 190 pounds, and that isn’t cutting it.

Wouldn’t this be a more promising site at the plate than Hudson?

Landing with the White Sox would give Youkilis a fresh start without the presence of a player breathing down his neck. In Boston, it’s obvious they want Will Middlebrooks to be the man at third base, and rightfully so.

Honestly speaking, the bar isn’t that high to reach improvement in Chicago. They have a gaping hole at third, and it’s almost certain that Youkilis would, at the very least, be an improvement.

The time has come for Youk to move on—or should I say, change his Sox.

Follow Brian Mazique and Franchiseplay.net for reactions, analysis and news from the world of sports and sports video games

Follow @BrianMazique

Follow @franchiseplay

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Kevin Youkilis trade watch is in full effect.

According to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, “Kevin Youkilis could be traded before the day is out.”

Youkilis has been linked to the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves. But MLB Trade Rumors reported the White Sox “may be best positioned to swing a trade for Kevin Youkilis.”

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports reported that, “The White Sox’s need for Youkilis is obvious — third baseman Brent Morel is out indefinitely with a back injury, and his replacement, Orlando Hudson, is batting just .160 in 81 at-bats.”

Youkilis has had a disappointing season and is only batting .225 with four home runs and 13 RBI. Red Sox rookie Will Middlebrooks has made Youkilis an expendable commodity since exploding onto the scene in May.

In 39 games this season Middlebrooks has hit .319 with eight home runs and 31 RBI. His play has relegated Youkilis to the bench on many nights. He has been a shot of adrenaline for a sometimes lackluster Red Sox lineup.

The impending move makes a lot of sense for the Red Sox. Bobby Valentine has been charged with the task of fitting Adrian Gonzalez, Middlebrooks and Youkilis into the lineup at the same time. The solution was to play Gonzalez in right field while sliding Youkilis back to first base. The experiment has been fine in the short term, but it really is just a temporary fix. 

It is time for Middlebrooks to take over the job at third base full-time. 

The Red Sox will most likely be looking for starting pitching in any deal for Youkilis.

If the Red Sox do deal Youkilis, they have shown a willingness to eat part of his contract. According to Ken Rosenthal, “The Red Sox are willing to assume a portion of his remaining salary — almost $7 million, along with a $1 million buyout on next year’s $13 million option — to receive better players in return.”

The time has finally come. Red Sox fans could see this day on the horizon. Wherever Youkilis goes, it will better for him and the Red Sox. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com