New York Yankees offer a deal to Kevin Youkilis

The New York Yankees have shown plenty of interest in Kevin Youkilis over the past couple of days, an that interest has turned into a sizeable one-year offer for the veteran slugger. The Yankees are looking for a short-term replacement in the infield due to the injuries to Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, and Youkilis would be a good fit to replace the power at third base lost by A-Rod.

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A couple of days ago, the Yanks talked with Youk’s agent, and it is likely a two-team race between the Yankees and the Cleveland Indians. Youkilis could end up staying in the AL Central instead of going back to the AL East, because the Indians have been showing a high amount of interest in Youk. His value has shot up ever since Marco Scutaro and Jeff Keppinger were taken off the market, so it will be interesting to see what his market value is.

There are rumors that the Yankees might not be willing to give the 33-year-old as much as other teams. The Yanks and Indians aren’t the only two teams who have offered Youkilis, and he has reportedly received a multitude of one-year deals and multi-year deals.

It seems like Youkilis will only accept a one-year contract if the money is substantial, and Bryan Hoch of MLB.com has reported that the Yankees have given Youkilis a one-year deal worth $12 million.

The question is, will the Indians match that offer assuming they are also interested in giving Youk a one-year deal? Better yet, is Youkilis willing to go to a rival team?

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.