210 replies to this topic

[ifmanis5]

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the Yankees have agreed to a one-year, $12 million contract with free agent third baseman Kevin Youkilis.

via Twitter

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

[BosRedSox5]

I'd never boo the guy, but it leaves a bad taste in your mouth to have one of your favorite players wearing pinstripes. Blech.

[Yazdog8]

I blame this all on Bobby V.

[Toe Nash]

Shrug. Lots of people will get bent out of shape about this, but that's how baseball goes.

On the field, that's probably about right on a one-year deal -- I bet he could have gotten more overall on a two+ year deal but this will let him try to re-establish some value. I doubt he does. After his hot start in CHI he was pretty average for the last two months of the year.

Edit: He hit .158/.248/.237 in games not at Fenway or the Cell last year, FWIW.

Edited by Toe Nash, 11 December 2012 - 06:29 PM.

[Hee-Seop's Fable]

Watching him break down mid season won't hurt as much in 2013 as it has in the past. It'll still be acutely painful to watch him wearing pinstripes if he gets on one of his typical tears.

More evidence they're serious about getting under the threshold in 2014.

[Spacemans Bong]

I can't wait for the negative media to vilify a guy for taking a contract with a playoff caliber team where he'll get to reestablish his value and play quite a bit.

[TheoShmeo]

It blows but the Sox traded Youks last year and they didn't try to re-sign him during this off season. This isn't like Damon moving from the Sox to the Yankees, Allen moving from the Cs to the Heat or AV moving from the Pats to the Colts. I can't see getting mad at Youks.

But here's to him having an absolutely horrendous season in NY.

[DeJesus Built My Hotrod]

I blame this all on Bobby V.

You should blame Will Middlebrooks and Adrian Gonzalez while you are at it.

The Yankees had to make this move (I bet some of their fans are struggling with this signing as well) but its not clear what to expect of Youkilis going forward. For all the angst around these parts over his departure, his aggregate numbers for 2012 continue to suggest that he is in a steady decline. He will be 34 this season so its not like he is a huge candidate for a bounce-back year. Anything is possible of course but I wouldn't bet on the Yankees getting a guy who puts up a .900 OPS.

[ifmanis5]

Embed function, activate.

[Tim Naehrings Girl]

It blows but the Sox traded Youks last year and they didn't try to re-sign him during this off season. This isn't like Damon moving from the Sox to the Yankees, Allen moving from the Cs to the Heat or AV moving from the Pats to the Colts. I can't see getting mad at Youks.

But here's to him having an absolutely horrendous season in NY.

I was just coming in to say this. You can't blame the guy for getting a job, the Red Sox traded him, he didn't leave fo go to the MFY's for more money like Damon did.

[Rudy Pemberton]

Yankees seem obsessed with acquiring former Sox, this seems like a massive overpay or a guy who cannot hit righties anymore. To claim fiscal responsibility, while giving Youkilis 4X what Chavez got is baffling. I'm sure Youkilis gets some satisfaction in sticking it to the Sox, and good for him.

[javaisfun]

Instead of boos, the entire stadium should just sing Biz Markie with heartfelt despair.

[BellhornIsGod]

Low risk signing for the Yankees, and there's very little out there at 3B, so probably the right choice.

Youk gets good money for one year on a contender and a chance to re-establish value.

I know he's one of the 25 but I just can't get all that worked up about this. Youk had a.693 OPS vs righties last year and in 86 career PA in the new toilet he's hit .233/.337/.397 (.734OPS). Sucks that he decided to sign there but it's the best move for him, and he just does not scare me one bit.

Edited by BellhornIsGod, 11 December 2012 - 06:39 PM.

[Eck'sSneakyCheese]

Instead of boos, the entire stadium should just sing Biz Markie with heartfelt despair.

If they boo him how are we going to know? Boo and Youk sound exactly alike anyway...

Good for him. He got the Yankees to pay way too much. It's going to suck to see him as a Yank, but it is what it is. Hurts a little, but I don't blame him.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Pretty good job by Youk's agent to get him a deal that means he won't lose out on a dime he would have gotten if the White Sox hadn't declined his option.

Agreed with others that don't like the prospect of seeing him in pinstripes, but would never bring myself to boo or vilify him for taking the best contract he could get.

[rembrat]

Someone check up on ItP.

Here's to hoping he has a non career threatening injury in Spring Training and he is done for the season.

[NJ Fan]

Not looking forward to seeing the first pix of Youk during ST exercises with his new NYY pals, all smiles. But certainly can't blame him for taking this, the one-year deal, in the hopes of getting an event better two-year deal.

[sfip]

<hisssssssssssssssssssssssss>

It's not rational, but it's what I'll say to him for this year. Comes with the territory.

[Curll]

He'll be an MVP candidate, without a doubt. Sigh.

Regardless, he won't get boo'd at Fenway. Until he does something to hurt the Sox, of course. Good for him for fetching $12M after such a horrible year. I wish Youk nothing but the best, hope he outplays A-Rod. I hope the Yankees give Youk a $275M deal.

[Yazdog8]

You should blame Will Middlebrooks and Adrian Gonzalez while you are at it.

The Yankees had to make this move (I bet some of their fans are struggling with this signing as well) but its not clear what to expect of Youkilis going forward. For all the angst around these parts over his departure, his aggregate numbers for 2012 continue to suggest that he is in a steady decline. He will be 34 this season so its not like he is a huge candidate for a bounce-back year. Anything is possible of course but I wouldn't bet on the Yankees getting a guy who puts up a .900 OPS.

Forgot to add the #sarcasm hash tag.

[hitatater]

Joba still throws at him, though, right??

[Yazdog8]

Joba still throws at him, though, right??

Only in spring training simulated games.

[RedOctober3829]

Joba still throws at him, though, right??

Aceves might

[adam42381]

This one doesn't hurt like Damon did. I can't blame him too much after last year's Bobby V debacle.

[Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat]

I don't blame Youks...much...but it doesn't mean that I don't hate it.

On the plus side, the range on the left side of the infield will be funny.

[crow216]

Yankees seem obsessed with acquiring former Sox, this seems like a massive overpay or a guy who cannot hit righties anymore. To claim fiscal responsibility, while giving Youkilis 4X what Chavez got is baffling. I'm sure Youkilis gets some satisfaction in sticking it to the Sox, and good for him.

They don't really care what their payroll is for 2013. If we're to believe their fiscal responsibility mantra, this fits right into their plan to get below $189 for 2014.

[StuckOnYouk]

Well it's different with Damon. For one he told everyone he would never go to the Yankees. Also, he was the face of the greatest baseball story ever told.

With Youkilis, he's just a so-so player now. OK offensively, bad defensively - at least at 3B. So I don't think people fear what might happen with him going to NY.

On the flipside, once he starts taking all those special juices that every old dumped player drinks when they sign with the Yankees, he'll revert to all-star form and put up 25-30 HRs.

It will also be interesting to see the Joba/Youk stories and see if Youk buys the "it slipped" angle. NY fans jeered and derided Youk everytime Joba through at his big melon.

And lastly, he'll have to shave his goat. So that will be interesting to see.

Overal I'd rather he took francona's offer though

[jon abbey]

And lastly, he'll have to shave his goat. So that will be interesting to see.

I assume this is Photoshopped, but:

[Jordu]

I know it's only one year, and NYY (like the Sox) are willing to overpay to get a one-year deal rather than two or three. But $12 million for a guy who put up a .220/.317./370 line against RHP in 2012? With a negative UZR? Seems like a lot, eh?

Edited by Jordu, 11 December 2012 - 07:34 PM.

[cromulence]

I know it's only one year, and NYY (like the Sox) are willing to overpay to get a one-year deal rather than two or three. But $12 million for a guy who put up a .220/.317./370 line against RHP in 2012? With a negative UZR? Seems like a lot, eh?

For the Yankees, it REALLY doesn't matter this year. If someone will sign for a year, then pay them pretty much whatever and take it to keep the dream of getting under the luxury tax in 2014 alive. For this offseason, the one year deal has major value for the Yankees, so they're willing to overpay.

[mt8thsw9th]

The only thing annoying about this is he'll probably finally shave that godawful 1970s stripper's crotch off his pouty face. Dude's fallen off a cliff the past two seasons, so it should at least be interesting to watch. .557 OPS outside of Cellular and Fenway this year (.667 OPS the previous season on the road); it will be interesting to see how playing half his games in Yankee Stadium will affect his hitting.

[LeoCarrillo]

If it's any comfort, just know that this is killing Yankee fans. They've been hating this guy as much as any Sox player or more, and for about eight years.

It'd be like us having to root suddenly for Joba.

[Papo The Snow Tiger]

This kind of reminds me of when Mark Bellhorn signed with the MFY in 2005; it kind of sucks to see one of the first 25 sign with them, but I can understand him going there. If he goes 0 for 4 with an error I'll probably feel bad about feeling good about it.

[luckysox]

I hate it. I get it, but I hate it.

[InsideTheParker]

The deal is pending a physical. The 33-year-old Youkilis had also considered singing with the Cleveland Indians.

---nytimes

So, I guess he decided to stay in baseball rather than go into show-business. Good call.
This doesn't hurt as much as I dislike Bobby V., if you can follow that convoluted grammar.
As much as I like Youks, I'm still astonished at the $12M. Wonder what Bobby V is thinking?

Since I watched a lot of his games last year at Cellular Field, I can tell you one thing: while he isn't what he was, he still occasionaly managed to single-handedly win games for the White Sox at home. That's what I don't want to see in Yankee Stadium. Even less in Fenway Park.

[Brickowski]

If it's any comfort, just know that this is killing Yankee fans. They've been hating this guy as much as any Sox player or more, and for about eight years.

Excuse me? I'm a Yankee fan and I've always liked Youkilis.. He plays hard and was always worthy of respect. I just worry that he doesn't have much left in the tank.

I'm sure the Boston and NY sports talk show hosts will play up the thing with Joba to get a few more phone calls from the neanderthals. Meh.

[StuckOnYouk]

Excuse me? I'm a Yankee fan and I've always liked Youkilis.. He plays hard and was always worthy of respect. I just worry that he doesn't have much left in the tank.

I'm sure the Boston and NY sports talk show hosts will play up the thing with Joba to get a few more phone calls from the neanderthals. Meh.

If you rank the words HATE RESPECT LIKE in the order that NY fans always felt about Youkilis, it was in that order. I know several friends of mine who are sick to their stomach right now. They'll root for him obviously but they wanted nothing to do with him.

the Joba/Youk thing is not just something for the media to drag up. It was as blatant a pitcher vs hitter rivalry as their was in the game since Joba entered the league. He intentionally threw at Youkilis, sometimes right near his head. I think it's an interesting tale here but Youk cared more about cashing in then playing with a guy he despises.

[Rasputin]

I desperately want some player to go to the Yankees and tell them to shove that facial hair rule right where it belongs.

[Brickowski]

I think it's an interesting tale here but Youk cared more about cashing in then playing with a guy he despises.

So, did Youkilis confide in you that he despises Chamberlain, or are you just inferring it?

Edited by Brickowski, 11 December 2012 - 08:43 PM.

[LeoCarrillo]

Excuse me? I'm a Yankee fan and I've always liked Youkilis.. He plays hard and was always worthy of respect. I just worry that he doesn't have much left in the tank.

I would guess you're an outlier. I live and work in NYC and know many Yankee fans. My experience has been that even the least-homerist, most-objective ones (who volunteer that they'll never like A-Rod or that the '12 Yankees were pretty much frauds living off the HR, etc.) still let slip along the lines, "Youk's good, but that dude annoys the hell outta me."

I assume mostly it's that he's demonstrative, basically. Balls-and-strikes, etc. Maybe the batting stance. Gotta hate on a couple guys, just to ratchet it up.

Edited by LeoCarrillo, 11 December 2012 - 09:03 PM.

[jon abbey]

Jack Curry linked a column of his from 2007 where he compared Youkilis to O'Neill, probably not a bad comparison:

http://www.nytimes.c...pauloneill&_r=0

Swisher might be the best current comparison, would be interesting if they ended up switching teams (I don't think BOS will pay him what he wants, but I am also not sure who will, maybe SEA?).

[jon abbey]

My wife barely follows baseball, but even she hates Youkilis. She made an audible "ew!" sound when the news came up on ESPN this afternoon.

It would be awesome if Youkilis challenged them on their idiotic 'no facial hair' rule and won the right to not shave, since NY seemed to need him more than he needed them. Someone needs to challenge them on it at some point, it seems very antiquated to me.

[Savin Hillbilly]

I seriously can't believe that people here are even having to spend time pondering whether to "blame" Youkilis for this. For Christ's sake, the Sox dumped him for pennies on the dollar. He's a free agent, a team offers him a pretty good one-year deal, and he's supposed to refuse because the team making the offer used to be Public Enemy #1 of the team that shoved him out with the door with a foot up his ass?

"Ridiculous" doesn't even begin to cover it.

I hope Youk has an awesome comeback year that isn't quite enough to overcome the collective suck of the Yankees' other declining starters. And if I am lucky enough to sit in the stands when he comes back to Fenway, I will cheer my ass off.

[Buckner's Boots]

My experience has been that even the least-homerist, most-objective ones (who volunteer that they'll never like A-Rod or that the '12 Yankees were pretty much frauds living off the HR, etc.) still let slip along the lines, "Youk's good, but that dude annoys the hell outta me."

In the interest of balanced reporting, as a Red Sox fan, this is how I've always felt about him, too.

[InsideTheParker]

My husband, The Yankees Fan, has always liked Youkilis and is thrilled that he's on the team. As for the O'Neill comp, yes, it's one we've always made in this house.

[Brickowski]

Isn't all this "love Youk because he's a dirt dog" vs "hate Youk because he's a prickly SOB" just a media construct? Does anyone here know Youkilis personally? As for the Joba thing, chin music is part of baseball and I'd like to see more of it, not less.

[Savin Hillbilly]

Isn't all this "love Youk because he's a dirt dog" vs "hate Youk because he's a prickly SOB" just a media construct? Does anyone here know Youkilis personally? As for the Joba thing, chin music is part of baseball and I'd like to see more of it, not less.

The ghost of Ray Chapman doesn't like you.

[yecul]

No big deal since he was traded prior to becoming a FA. Once Boston shipped him out of town all bets were off.

Don't get me wrong, it sucks and I wanted him to sign anywhere else, but oh well.

[LeoCarrillo]

Isn't all this "love Youk because he's a dirt dog" vs "hate Youk because he's a prickly SOB" just a media construct? Does anyone here know Youkilis personally? As for the Joba thing, chin music is part of baseball and I'd like to see more of it, not less.

Why would the media have any effect on how avid fans feel about a rival player? I doubt many people here on SoSH, who watch roughly 150-162 regular season Sox games a year, require the media to tell them whom to love/lament on the Sox or whom to respect/hate on the Yankees.

Edited by LeoCarrillo, 11 December 2012 - 09:40 PM.

[Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat]

I seriously can't believe that people here are even having to spend time pondering whether to "blame" Youkilis for this. For Christ's sake, the Sox dumped him for pennies on the dollar. He's a free agent, a team offers him a pretty good one-year deal, and he's supposed to refuse because the team making the offer used to be Public Enemy #1 of the team that shoved him out with the door with a foot up his ass?

"Ridiculous" doesn't even begin to cover it.

I hope Youk has an awesome comeback year that isn't quite enough to overcome the collective suck of the Yankees' other declining starters. And if I am lucky enough to sit in the stands when he comes back to Fenway, I will cheer my ass off.

Since when is being a fan rational, SV? There is a part of most of us that wants to believe that the players hate our rivals as much as we do. The fact is, few of them do.