New York Yankees hope to complete Ichiro deal soon

After already adding one veteran bat recently, the New York Yankees hope to keep the moves coming by completing a deal with free agent outfielder Ichiro Suzuki soon, Jack Curry of YES Network reports. The deal would presumably be a short one, like the one-year deal the Yankees gave Kevin Youkilis on Tuesday.

At this point, the general expectation around the industry appears to be that Ichiro will re-sign with New York after looking revitalized during a stint with the team this year. The longtime Mariners outfielder was acquired by the Yankees over the summer once it became clear he could no longer anchor the top of Seattle's batting order.

Curry's source says that deal could be completed within 48 hours, so it appears that the two sides have already made significant progress on a new deal. He'll likely take over as the Yankees' primary right fielder, pushing Chris Dickerson to the bench.

In 95 games with Seattle last year, Ichiro hit just .261/.288/.353 with four homers and 15 stolen bases, following up a disappointing 2011 season with further decline. He rebounded in New York after the trade, though, hitting .322/.340/.454 with five homers and 15 steals in 67 games with the Yankees.