Youkilis has decided to retire from professional baseball, Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com reports.

Youkilis spent the 2014 season in Japan after playing only 28 games for the Yankees in 2013. He appeared in 21 Japanese league games, hitting .215 with 1 RBI in 65 at-bats. The 35-year-old and three-time All-Star will be best remembered for his days with the Red Sox, a team he helped to two World Series victories.

Nikkan Sports has reported that Kevin Youkilis has signed a contract with Japan's Rakuten Golden Eagles.

WEEI.com's Alex Speier has confirmed the report. Youkilis' OPS has dropped for three straight seasons all the way down to .648 in 2013, when he was limited to just 28 games due to injury. Still, it's a bit surprising that no major league team was willing to give him a shot. The 34-year-old is coming off of June back surgery but should be healthy by now.

The Rays are interested in Kevin Youkilis, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Youkilis fits what the Rays are looking for as a player on the rebound, Topkin continued. The 34-year-old played in just 28 games this past season, batting .219/.305/.343. Youkilis is said to want to play close to his California home, so it's unclear how open he might be to the Rays' advances.

Per Jack Curry of the YES Network, Yankees GM Brian Cashman called the agent of Kevin Youkilis to gauge interest, but was told the free agent wants to play near his home in California.

Youkilis suffered from a herniated disk during the 2013 season, eventually undergoing surgery in June. He appeared in only 28 games and mustered a .648 OPS. As Youkilis turns 35 years old in March, he is playing out the back nine of his career and understandably wants to be closer to his family.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that Kevin Youkilis is beginning to draw interest as a "lower cost" corner infield option.

Youkilis was limited to just 28 games with the Yankees this past season due to surgery to repair a bulging disk in his back, but he's interested in continuing his playing career. He turns 35 in March and figures to land somewhere on a one-year deal.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, free agent Kevin Youkilis would like to continue his playing career in 2014.

Olney also says he expects some clarity on the Youkilis market within the next couple of days. Youkilis, who will be 35 years old on Opening Day, only managed to get into 28 games with the Yankees this season as he was bothered by a bulging disk in his back. He had surgery in June, ending his summer with a career-low .648 OPS.

Kevin Youkilis' (back) agent, Joe Bick, said that there is a "pretty good chance" his client would have been ready to play had the Yankees reached the playoffs.

An impending free agent, Youkilis had surgery in mid-June to repair a herniated disc in his back, but he's apparently back to 100 percent. "He's fine," said Bick. "Had the Yankees made it to the postseason, there's a pretty good chance he would've been ready to play. He shouldn't have any issues whatsoever going forward. It's a normal off-season; just try to figure out where he's playing." Bick added that he hasn't had any conversations with the Yankees about Youkilis possibly re-signing.

Kevin Youkilis (back) hit off a tee and took soft-toss Friday.

Youkilis was cleared to begin swinging a bat this week and he'll now continue his rehab at the Yankees' spring training complex. Out since mid-June following surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, Youk is hoping to return for the final week of the season.

Kevin Youkilis (back) has begun to take dry swings.

It's nice to hear, but he's not close to returning. In fact, when discussing Youkilis and fellow injured players Travis Hafner (shoulder) and Zoilo Almonte (ankle), Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Youk "is probably the least probable of the three" to return. He's been out since mid-June following surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back.

Kevin Youkilis (back) said Sunday that he has not ruled out returning to the Yankees this season.

Youkilis underwent surgery in mid-June to repair a herniated disc. "The thing about the back is, there's no timetables - the surgery, it's different for everybody in different ways," the veteran third baseman said. "We hope we can play this year but you have to go through all the progressions first and that's what I'm doing."

Yankees transferred INF Kevin Youkilis from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

It's a procedural move made in order to add Travis Ishikawa to the roster. Youkilis is hoping to return late in the season from back surgery.

Kevin Youkilis has a herniated disc in his back and will undergo surgery to repair it on Thursday.

He is expected to need about 10-12 weeks of rest and rehab, which puts his season in jeopardy. It's another brutal blow to the Yankees, who have been without third baseman Alex Rodriguez (hip) all year. Youkilis was batting .219/.305/.343 with two home runs and eight RBI in 28 games as A-Rod's fill-in at the hot corner.

Yankees placed 3B Kevin Youkilis on the 15-day disabled list with a lumbar spine sprain.

No word yet on how long he may be sidelined, but since its a recurring issue, it may be longer than 15 days. It's the same ailment that landed Youkilis on the disabled list at the end of April. He managed to hit just.146/.239/.220 with one RBI and 13 K's in 41 at-bats after returning from the disabled list on May 31.

Kevin Youkilis went 0-for-7 at the plate in Thursday's extra innings loss to the Athletics.

Youkilis did manage to draw a walk but struck out three times. He's down to .219/.305/.343 for the season and is hitting only .146 since returning from the disabled list.

Kevin Youkilis (back) went 1-for-4 with a single in his to the lineup Tuesday.

Youkilis sat out Sunday's game after his back stiffened up, but he was ready to go Tuesday. The 34-year-old is hitting just .240 with two homers and a .686 OPS in 26 games this season.

Kevin Youkilis is not in the Yankees' lineup Sunday.

It's not clear if it's just a day off or if his back is bothering him again. Youkilis is batting just .239/.314/.380 with two homers over 25 games for the Yankees this season. Jayson Nix is getting the start at third base Sunday.

Kevin Youkilis is not in Monday's lineup against the Indians.

David Adams is making the start at third base against right-hander Justin Masterson. Youkilis is 1-for-9 with an RBI and a walk since returning from the disabled list.

Yankees activated 3B Kevin Youkilis from the 15-day disabled list.

Youkilis has been on the disabled list since April 28 with a lower back injury, but he's back in the lineup Friday in the DH spot. He returns to a .266/.347/.422 batting line with two homers over 72 plate appearances.

Kevin Youkilis (back) went 0-for-2 with a walk Wednesday in his first rehab game with Double-A Trenton.

Youkilis also played seven innings at third base. The 33-year-old has been sidelined for a month with a lower back strain, but the hope is that two rehab games will be enough to ensure his return this weekend against the Red Sox.

Kevin Youkilis (back) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Trenton Wednesday.

He and Mark Teixeira (wrist) will play two games for the Thunder before being re-evaluated. It's possible that both could be activated from the disabled list for the start of the weekend series against the Red Sox.