Michael Young & the Damage Done

Make no mistake about it, despite Nolan Ryan's legendary status, despite Pudge Rodriguez's string of Gold Glove seasons, Michael Young is Mr. Ranger. I acknowledge it, applaud it, and yet still must ask the question: Who's playing 3rd base next season? If your answer is Michael Young, God help us all.

As a pure hitter, Michael Young retains much of what he was at his peak. Sure, his 2010 line of .284/.330/.444 is arguably his worst since 2002 and yes, he also set a career high in strikeouts. He also managed 20+ home run, 90+ rbi during the most magical season in Texas Rangers history. For that reason, I submit that Michael Young should go into next year as the new full-time Designated Hitter for the Texas Rangers.

Yesterday, Vladamir Guerrero's $9 million mutual option was declined by the Rangers, presumably in an effort to work out a cheaper deal with the slugger down the line, but if you look at how Vlad declined over the second half of the season, one could speculate the Rangers might be going in a different direction. Vlady played in 69 games after the All-Star break, compiling a line of .278/.322/.476 with 9 home runs and 40 rbi. Prior to the break, Vlad played in 83 games, with a line of .319/.364/.554, clubbing 20 home runs and driving in 75. You must also take into account the fact that he cannot and should not ever see the outfield grass again. He's a hitter, nothing more, nothing less, and playing him in the outfield at this stage of his career does nothing more than expose his deficiencies. Were Vlad willing to take another deal similar to what he received this past season (1 year - $5.5 million with a buyout), I think the team would welcome him back with open arms and pray for one more injury free year out of the slugger. I don't know that Vlad's pride will allow him to accept another 1 year contract, not after (at least statistically) being the fifth best run producer in Major League Baseball. I believe this is where the case can be made for Michael Young stepping in as the teams DH for 2011.


Young's trade value is nonexistent. This much was proven two seasons ago when, after Young requested a trade, Texas found no takers or, at least, no one willing to part with anything of great quality to obtain his services. With this in our back pocket, one has to assume that the team is stuck with Young and his $16 million salary for the next three seasons. If this is the case, the team must use him where he can help the most and that is most certainly not in the infield. Over the last few seasons, Young's range has gone to nothing and his inability (or lack of desire) to get in front of hard grounders makes him a massive liability at 3rd base. Since taking over the position in 2009, Baseball Info Solutions (BIS) theorizes that Young has cost the team 31 runs due to either poor defensive play or lack of range at the position. Over the same two years, BIS shows former Seattle/Boston third baseman, Adrian Beltre, actually saved his team 31 runs in the field. When you consider the number of 1-run games that occur over the course of a 162-game season, a +31 run differential is astounding.

A move to DH might also breathe a little more life into Young's bat, allowing him time to rest between at-bats, rather than having to concern himself with fielding nine innings every night. Though an admittedly small sample size, it should be noted that for his career, Michael Young is a .388 hitter as a DH over 25 games played.

So, will the Rangers make a move to get Young away from the third base bag? Well, I assume it primarily depends on who they can find to cover the position. The aforementioned Adrian Beltre just recently declined his $10 million option with Boston and will become a free agent. He is certainly looking for a multi-year deal, probably in the neighborhood of 5 years for 65 million. I don't know that Texas would even think about such an investment (especially if they do get Cliff Lee re-signed) but I also have my doubts that Beltre will get anything even close to a 5-year deal, despite retaining the services of super-agent (and Baseball Antichrist) Scott Boras. If Beltre were to hold firm with his demands that would leave a who's who of castoffs in the free agent market, most notably Jhonny Peralta and super-subs Ty Wiggington, Bill Hall and Juan Uribe (who was last seem assisting San Francisco plunge a dagger in the heart of the Rangers). Both Peralta and Uribe would be big upgrades defensively over Young, while Hall and Wiggington each have the ability to play virtually anywhere on the field.

Pure speculation at this stage of the game but numbers don't lie. Michael Young, though still a quality hitter and positive clubhouse presence, is a proven liability in the field. With Texas placing more and more emphasis on pitching and defense, one can only assume that Young's days at the hot corner are numbered.