It's not easy to find teams with $16MM to spare in mid-March, when most GMs have exhausted their offseason budgets. The number of potential takers for $16MM players shrinks even more when the trade candidate earns $16MM annually through 2013 and has no-trade protection.
That's why the Rangers aren't going to have a simple time trading Michael Young, who requested a trade, saying that he has been "misled and manipulated." Young can veto trades to 21 teams and he'll have a full no-trade clause in May when his 10-and-5 rights kick in. ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the Rangers are still asking for top prospects in return for Young, so Texas' asking price first seems unrealistic given all of the obstacles in place.
But former Indians GM Mark Shapiro traded similar players for top prospects in 2008 and 2009, so there's some hope for Jon Daniels, Nolan Ryan and the rest of Texas' front office.
Shapiro sent Casey Blake and cash to the Dodgers for Carlos Santana and Jon Meloan in 2008. At the time, Blake was in his age-34 season and had a .289/.365/.465 line as a utility player for the Indians. The next year, the Tribe sent Mark DeRosa to the Cardinals for Jess Todd, now the Indians' 27th-ranked prospect, and Chris Perez, who has become the team's closer. DeRosa, another utility player, was also in his age-34 season and at the time he had a similar line to the one Blake had in 2008: .270/.342/.457.
Young is coming off of a comparable year; he hit .284/.330/.444 for Texas in 2010. Now a utility player himself, Young resembles Blake and DeRosa to a considerable extent. He's in his age-34 season and has 20 homer pop and the versatility to play multiple positions.
There are significant differences, of course. Blake and DeRosa were not franchise players like Young, the longest tenured Ranger. Plus, Blake ($6.1MM) and DeRosa ($5.5MM) were making about $10MM less than Young will earn in 2011. Young's pedigree includes six All-Star Game selections, a Gold Glove and a batting title, but that doesn't make up the $10MM gap between him and the others.
The Rangers face obstacles that the Indians weren't up against in 2008-09, but Shapiro's trades should give the Rangers some hope. Though Texas may not be able to unload Young's entire contract or close to it, there is some precedent for turning comparable players into top prospects.
Photo courtesy Icon SMI.
Young is also not likely to hit 20 HR’s away from Texas.
Maybe not even in Texas. He has only hit 20 or more 4 times. He is like the Rangers’ Ichiro–he won’t hit HRs, but can get hits.
If only Young were an elite defender and could steal 40+ bases.
He could at Wrigley…
It’s all about the money.
If Young were making $5m then yes, the Rangers could extract a very useful player (or group of players) from any team looking for help at 2nd or 3rd. However, his value (estimated FA contract) is somewhere between $18m and $24m over the 3 years – not the $48m that he is owed.
As dgrfns also pointed out, his stats are also a product of Arlington. His OPS split in 2010 was nearly 200 points. In most years it’s at least 100 points. While some variation is expected, Young clearly benefits from his home park in Texas.
If he were a free agent, I don’t think he gets anything close to 3 years, 18 million.
um…false
What other utility player is getting 3 years, 18-24 million?
Well Juan Uribe got 21 mil over 3 very long years. 🙁
He is a SUPER Utility 🙂
Of the bagillion Michael Young threads, this is the best post of them all! 100% right.
dgrfns is correct. At home Young puts up HOF numbers. Away, he’s barely above average anymore.
Career: .300 .347 .448 , Home: .322 .372 .487, Away: .279 .322 .411
2010: Home: .307 .361 .509, Away: .260 .299 .380
2009: Home: .347 .411 .525, Away: .297 .337 .511
2008: Home: .305 .362 .441, Away: .264 .317 .364
With the exception of 2009, which was a great year, th elast several years he’s been BELOW AVERAGE away from Texas, and would barely crack the starting lineup in a lot of other ballparks. It’s a harsh assessment, but another team would be nuts to trade for this guy and give up a top prospect unless the Rangers picked up the vast majority (as in “almost all”) of his salary. Young, who has the ego of a ballplayer (as he should), probably also overvalues himself as well, as his range has become limited in the field. Good luck to him, but he’s basically a vastly overpaid super-utility guy at this point, something that the Rangers probably realize (it’s why they made the moves they made) but have been reluctant to say out of respect for Young.
wow, he slugged .500 AWAY in 2009? interesting
most players hit worse on the road then they do at home…look a Pujols…is he a product of his ball park too?
OPS is not very useful and your sample size sucks. pujols’ career (~6000 plate appearances):
home wOBA: .437
road wOBA: .435
young’s career (~6000 plate apperances)
home wOBA: .375
away wOBA: .325
womp womp wommmmp
Here’s the realism: other teams want the Rangers to give MY away and pay his way too. THAT is unrealistic. Why would the Rangers cave in and trade Young to another club, pay the bulk/all of his remaining salary and accept a couple of injured grade C prospects in return? MY isn’t going to be a clubhouse cancer if he isn’t traded and I think he will bust his butt to show JD and other clubs how good he can be. He’s got something to prove now.
I getta kick out of these guys & the players union always wanting the big, long term contracts & negotiating the no-trade clauses, then turn around with 3-4 yrs left on the deal & demand a trade, LOL!!! What did he think was gonna happen here? Wave a wand & find a suitor magically?
If I’m the Cubs I give them: Blake DeWitt, Samardzija, Fukudome & Silva
TRASH
Yeah Micheal Young is the example of a fairly priced hitter with excellent defense.
Joke.
MY is greater then or equal to one fringe prospect. Teams will want money thrown in so depending on the amount of money involved reflects what kind of prospect they can get in return. Blake DeWitt, Samardzija, Fukudome & Silva helps the Rangers in no way shape or form. At least MY can be a above avg Super UT player.
Clown.
He can’t play average defense anywhere and he cannot hit.. So that makes him a Above Average Super Utility player..
Keep drinking that Kool-aid.
PS – I hate that clown.
If Young is so bad at defense, how did he win a Gold Glove? He won a Gold Glove, right?
You didn’t just do that.. did you??
Jeter won a gold glove, that should tell you everything you need to know.
I think Gold Gloves has more to do with hitting and popularity then actual Defense i know dumb rite?
I think he could be an above avg LF but he would probably cry if you try to move him there. And he can hit at wrigley and most of the other NL central parks did you forget all those parks are hitter friendly?
the GG is a joke
From a Rangers stand point… Why would they do that? LOL!!! From a Cubs fan perspective, of course that would be a “great” trade…
So four players that you don’t like…
what?! 19 comments into a piece based on Casey Blake/Mark DeRosa for prospects … and not one joke about Ned Colletti or Jim Hendry!?
we’re slipping, people
Not exactly sure that Ned wanted to trade Santana.. Not having money to spend backfires.
Why don’t the Rangers trade Julio Borbon and have Young play left field and Hamilton play center?
Shoot I would gladly take Young at 3rd… I am a D’backs fan and Young looks waaaaaay better to me than Melvin Mora. I would give Brandon Allen and also another propect for him.
Its time for us to cut ties with Brandon. There is something about him management doesn’t like, and he needs a chance with another team.
Kind of sounds like Brandon Wood… possible swap?
Wood to D backs for Allen they Wood to Rangers for MY i would do that Wood plays good D and can back up all INF for them.