Bernie Williams might be back with the New York Yankees. The free-agent outfielder was offered salary arbitration before Wednesday night's deadline, giving him and the team another month to work out a possible deal. Williams has until Dec. 19 to accept, but the sides likely have an understanding that he will decline. The Yankees told Williams, their longtime star center fielder, that they are interested in bringing him back in a reserve role similar to the one filled by Ruben Sierra the past two years. "The purpose of this mechanism is only to buy some more time," general manager Brian Cashman said at baseball's winter meetings. "He's given a lot to this franchise." Players who became free agents and weren't offered arbitration cannot re-sign with their former clubs until May 1. Those offered arbitration have until Dec. 19 to accept and can re-sign through Jan. 8. "We're going to try to exhaust the situation with the Yankees before we move forward," Williams' agent, Scott Boras, said earlier in the day.