Yankees Sign Matt Diaz To Minor League Deal

From Mark Feinsand:

The Yankees’ search for a righthanded-hitting outfielder may not be over, but they took a step in the right direction Wednesday night with the signing of veteran Matt Diaz.
Diaz, who has spent his 10-year career battering lefthanded pitching, inked a minor-league deal with the Bombers that includes an invitation to spring training.

If Diaz makes the club, he'll earn $1.2 million. He can earn up to $800,000 more in incentives based on at-bats.

“I’m healthy and I feel like I can go to camp and show what I can do,” said Diaz, who played only 51 games in 2012 after undergoing midseason thumb surgery. “If I can go and do what I do, which is hit lefties and take tough at-bats against them, that’s what the Yankees need and want. It will be a good fit.”

Diaz grew up in Lakeland, Fla., where his father used to lead team chapel services for the Tigers during spring training. Diaz became a big fan of Matt Nokes, so when the catcher was traded to the Yankees in 1990, Diaz switched allegiances and became a Yankees fan.

“My dream in life as a kid was to play for the Yankees,” Diaz said.

In 2012, Diaz hit .222/.280/.333 in 51 games for Atlanta.

Yankees Eying Vernon Wells?

From Anthony McCarron:

Next up on the Yankees’ winter shopping list is a righthanded-hitting outfielder, and the Angels’ Vernon Wells reportedly is a potential trade target.

The Yankees and the Angels discussed a possible deal for Wells at the baseball winter meetings in Nashville, according to a report Saturday on FoxSports.com.

The Yanks are also prowling the free-agent market in search of a righty bat to complement their all-lefty outfield of Curtis Granderson, Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro has agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract that will become official once he takes a physical and some contract language is completed.

The Yankees have interest in Scott Hairston, who hit 20 homers for the Mets last year. They might be a match with the Angels for a trade because the Halos just signed Josh Hamilton and now have a glut of outfielders, meaning the 34-year-old Wells could be available.

Wells is due to make $21 million in both 2013 and 2014, which does not fit into the Yankees’ plan to drop their payroll under the luxury tax threshold of $189 million by 2014. So it’s likely that the Yanks would want the Angels to eat much of the contract. Wells’ contract has a no-trade clause, but he waived it for the trade that sent him from Toronto to Anaheim before the 2011 season.

I supposed a right-handed outfielder would help, but I can't see the Angels picking up that much of his salary. Well hit .230/.279/.403 with 11 HR in 77 games for the Angels last year, and hit .218/.248/.412 with 25 homers in 131 games in 2011.

Ichiro Coming Back For One More

Kevin Youkilis is Yankees

Ichiro Deal Expected In the Next Few Days

Some Think Youkilis is Waiting For A Non-Yankee Offer

From CSNNE.com:

"You think he just doesn't want to play for the Yankees?" ex-Sox infielder Lou Merloni asked Monday night on 'Uno's Sports Tonight'. "The history, and playing for the Red Sox? . . .

"I think like he's waiting for other offers because he just doesn't want to play for the Yankees."

Here's the video from the article:

It does seem kind of odd that he has not yet accepted the offer from the Yankees, especially when you consider that as of now nobody else is in the mix. Oh well, I assume we'll have our answer in the next day or two.

Youkilis 'Seriously Considering' Yankees as Cleveland Signs Reynolds

From the NY Daily News:

The Yankees could have an answer to their third-base problem shortly and the possibility it’ll be Kevin Youkilis may have gained steam Sunday night when Mark Reynolds reportedly agreed to a deal with the Indians.

Cleveland was viewed as the Yankees’ biggest competition for Youkilis. But CBSsports.com, which first reported Reynolds’ agreement and said he was going to play first base for the Indians, said the move meant Cleveland would use Lonnie Chisenhall at third.

So with one serious suitor down, the Yankees’ chances may have improved, though the Mariners and Dodgers are among the teams that also have reportedly shown interest in Youkilis. Youkilis’ agent, Joe Bick, said Sunday his client is “giving serious consideration to the Yankees” but wouldn’t offer more detail on what other teams were involved.

“Kevin’s in the process of considering options and we’ll obviously make a decision at some point not too far in the future here,” Bick said.

It would appear that the Youkilis signing is inevitable. Stay tuned...

Rosenthal: Yankees Likely To Resign Ichiro

From Ken Rosenthal:

Ichiro Suzuki enjoyed playing for the Yankees so much, he likely will be back with them again.

The Yankees are showing strong interest in re-signing the free-agent outfielder, according to major league sources.

“They are all over him,” one source says. “That (a deal with Ichiro) will happen.”

That's good to hear..... Rosenthal also mentioned that the Yankees are still exploring the idea of trading Curtis Granderson.