2013 Offseason Player Transaction Thread

[Hambombs]

I know price wont get traded at all. But one of grenkie or Shields i would like on this team.

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

Nope ... not the comp round. First round signed by TEX in first round 2007 ... #35 overall ... from Tennessee ...

Same player I was talking about....

 

[Windingmywatch]

Same player I was talking about....

Okay ... should have remembered Borbon @ #35 overall was a supplemental pick (for Carlos Lee). TEX compensation pick from the Astros for Lee was Blake Bevan @ #17 overall.

TEX own first round pick in 2007 went to the Blue Jays in compensation for TEX signing Frank Catalanotto. Blue Jays also got a supplemental #45 Justin Jackson also for Catalanotto. Amazing ... didn't remember Cat being a Type A FA.

Since I have the page open ... TEX also got Michael Main as compensation for Gary Mathews and supplementals Neil Ramirez (Mathews) and Tommy Hunter (David DeLucci).

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

Texas Rangers need to get rid of Michael Young - MLB - ESPN

Michael Young needs to go
The Rangers can no longer justify playing the veteran if they want to compete

AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
Young was once a fine player, but those days are long gone.

The longer someone sticks in one place, the more loyalty he or she will inevitably accrue. Given that Michael Young has worn a Texas Rangers uniform for 13 years, he has built up more loyalty than most. His versatility has a lot to do with that, even if he has only been begrudgingly versatile. In his time with Texas, he has moved from second base to shortstop to third base and finally to first base and designated hitter. But even if Josh Hamilton leaves in free agency, the ascension of Jurickson Profar, Leonys Martin and Mike Olt means there is no longer a logical place to move Young except off of Texas' roster entirely.
In examining the Rangers' roster, let's assume that Hamilton will not be a part of it. The Rangers reportedly will offer the free agent no more than a three-year contract, and he presumably can find a longer-term deal elsewhere. Working off last year's normal alignment and substituting Martin for Hamilton, this ostensibly would make the outfield alignment David Murphy in left field, a left-right platoon of Martin and Craig Gentry in center, and Nelson Cruz in right. The infield would feature Adrian Beltre at third, Elvis Andrus at short, Ian Kinsler at second and Mitch Moreland and Young splitting first base and DH duties. But this alignment precludes both Profar and Olt from being everyday players. And unfortunately for Young, Profar needs to play every day in the major leagues.

Here is the list of middle infielders to play in the majors at the age of 19 or younger in the past 25 years: Gary Sheffield, Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Renteria, Wilson Betemit and Profar. Though he has been young for every pro league that he's played in, Profar has posted a healthy 0.72 walk-to-strikeout ratio in the minors. His 14 homers were good for third-most among Double-A shortstops last season, and the two players who hit more than Profar were 25 years old, which is just a touch old for Double-A. Profar has nothing left to prove in the minors. Neither does Olt, whose 28 homers last season tied him for second-most overall in Double-A. It's time to unleash both players in the majors.

On the same token, Young has nothing left to prove at the major league level. He ranks first in Rangers history in games played, plate appearances, at-bats, runs scored, hits, total bases, singles, doubles and triples, as well as sixth in homers and ninth in batting average. If ever there was a Mr. Ranger, it is Young. He doesn't yet have that elusive World Series ring, but the Catch-22 is that keeping him on the roster in pursuit of one is going to make it less likely that the Rangers earn one.

Last season, there were 143 position players who played enough to qualify for the batting title. Of them, Young finished dead last in FanGraphs' WAR, at minus-1.4. His on-base percentage, slugging percentage, wOBA and UZR all ranked in the bottom 30 among qualified players. His power completely vanished -- only six qualified players posted a worse isolated power than Young. A DH has to either be good at reaching base or hitting the ball really far. Last season, Young was terrible at both, and he just turned 36, so you shouldn't exactly expect a huge rebound.

Now that he has only one year on his contract that will pay him $16 million, the Rangers can make a break from Young with much less strain. He's a sunk cost at this point -- the contract is guaranteed -- and the roster spot right now is probably more valuable than he is.

This isn't a Craig Biggio situation -- Young isn't near any significant milestones. He has no chance at reaching 3,000 hits, and even getting to the next round number in homers (200) seems like a stretch, because he is 23 homers from it and has hit only 19 homers the past two seasons combined. If anything, he's in danger of losing some shiny numbers. Always praised for being a .300 hitter, Young is perilously close to falling under that hallowed threshold. Entering 2012, he was a career .304 hitter, but after hitting .277 this past season, his career average fell to .301.

That's sort of neither here nor there, though. What's important is that the Rangers field the best team possible. Cruz's range in right field is deteriorating rapidly. FanGraphs' UZR is broken out into parts, and one of those measures a player's range. In 2010, Cruz's range was 10.7 runs above average. In 2011, that fell to 1.7 runs below average, and then to 5.8 runs below average this past season. As such, it would behoove the Rangers to move him to DH next season. There, he could drop the boomstick on opponents without killing Texas in the field. Whether it is Andrus, Profar or Kinsler who moves to the outfield, he would have considerably more range than Cruz. Both Andrus and Kinsler have posted above-average range numbers in each of the past four seasons, and while Profar doesn't yet have any meaningful advanced defensive metrics to speak of, he's fast and hailed as an excellent defender. With right field being a step or two down the ladder on the defensive spectrum, surely he could handle it.

There is little argument that can be made that would support keeping Young over Cruz as a DH, or over anyone else on the roster. In recent years, Young could be expected to crush lefties, as he posted wOBA+ between 19 and 39 percent better than league average against lefties from 2008 to 2011. But last season, his numbers against lefties fell to just 12 percent better than league average, a mark that ranked just sixth on the Rangers (minimum 50 PAs vs. LHP), and that doesn't even count the right-handed swinging Olt or the switch-hitting Profar. Young may remain a good hitter against lefties, but that skill holds little to no utility on this particular Rangers squad.

Even without Hamilton, there is a version of the 2013 Rangers that can get back to the World Series. But that version features 140 or more games from Andrus, Kinsler and Profar -- who conservatively could be worth 3 wins above replacement at age 20 -- and with Olt getting a good chunk of playing time in a platoon with Moreland at first base. The Rangers could in theory keep Young as a backup and achieve that goal, but when a player has engendered as much loyalty as Young, his manager is unlikely to bury him on the bench, especially when the two players forcing him to the bench are rookies. If Young stays, he'll play. And playing him would mean that the Rangers aren't fielding their best team. It's time that Texas two-stepped Young off its roster.

 

[Windingmywatch]

Texas Rangers need to get rid of Michael Young - MLB - ESPN

"It's time that Texas two-stepped Young off its roster."

I'm in. Unless I see something exciting roster-wise this off season I'm going to just put in 3 hours of golf every day there is a TEX ballgame. I'm through wasting my time on a team who thumbs its nose at the fans and plays or even has a spare with as little talent as MY does on its bench.

Maybe with any luck he will retire.

 

[Hambombs]

If you had to pick an Upton to have on your team, which one would you want?

 

[romeo212000]

If you had to pick an Upton to have on your team, which one would you want?

Justin.

 

[jta4437]

If you had to pick an Upton to have on your team, which one would you want?

Justin in a heartbeat

 

[Hambombs]

After thinking about it a bit, alex gordon would be a really good pick up. I wonder what he would cost? Put up a 6.9 WAR in 2011 and a 5.9 WAR in 2012. Thats a guy i would like to replace Hamilton with.

 

[Al Falfa]

Texas Rangers need to get rid of Michael Young - MLB - ESPN

My name is Al Falfa and I approve of this message.

 

[raptorlife4]

That would be fine.

Who are you willing to gove up for JP

D'Arnaud is our top prospect so chances are he is staying unless we are getting a superstar back

 

[romeo212000]

After thinking about it a bit, alex gordon would be a really good pick up. I wonder what he would cost? Put up a 6.9 WAR in 2011 and a 5.9 WAR in 2012. Thats a guy i would like to replace Hamilton with.

I doubt they'd turn him loose.

 

[romeo212000]

Who are you willing to gove up for JP

D'Arnaud is our top prospect so chances are he is staying unless we are getting a superstar back

No all star. JP is serviceable. That's about it.

 

[scotsman1948]

Who are you willing to gove up for JP

D'Arnaud is our top prospect so chances are he is staying unless we are getting a superstar back

for JP i would give you a couple of lower level prospects

 

[scotsman1948]

Toronto has signed Melky Cabrera that seems to overload their outfield with Bautista, Davis, Gose, Rasmus and Sierra

 

[kennyt12]

I doubt they'd turn him loose.

I'd see if they'd take Ogando for Gordon!

 

[Hambombs]

I'd see if they'd take Ogando for Gordon!

Haha i doubt that.

 

[romeo212000]

I'd see if they'd take Ogando for Gordon!

And the next thing you'd hear is a dial tone.

 

[Hambombs]

Would anyone ever consider a profar for Wil Myers trade? Myers fills out an outfield void.

 

[scotsman1948]

And the next thing you'd hear is a dial tone.

Would anyone ever consider a profar for Wil Myers trade? Myers fills out an outfield void.

No