Kuzul

The Texas Rangers have been known for quite some time as a team that usually wins with their bats. They are third in Major League Baseball since 2000 in runs scored and this is a team that has only been to the postseason twice since the turn of the millennium.

This offense has featured many prolific names but there are five that stand out from all the rest. We will be ranking these players by their WAR (wins above replacement) which is a stat that represents the number of wins that a player’s presence translates to compared to a replacement player.

Since runs are dependent on other batters, it is not appropriate to gauge worth using that stat which is why WAR is being used. Read on for more.

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As Spring Training nears its end, Michael Young is still a Texas Ranger. However, it’s not guaranteed he’ll finish with the Rangers even if he lines up on the first base line on April 1 at Texas Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

The main reason Young has yet to change uniforms, is the Rangers are reluctant to pay too much of his salary to play elsewhere.  The asking price for Young has been too rich for opposing team’s liking.

There have been recent reports that the Rangers would be willing to eat up to about $24 million remaining of Michael Young’s contract. If the Rangers go forward with this, a Young trade goes from remote to possible.

Jon Daniels and Young have spoke of the trade request to each other recently behind closed doors, and the entire issue looks to be behind the Rangers and Young as well.  Daniels stated, “Could something change? I wouldn’t rule it out. But I don’t expect a trade.” Alright, now the trade likelihood is back to bleak.

So who would be interested in a utility player and a declining defender at around $8 million over the next three seasons? There are multiple teams that would be interested in Young, but meeting the asking price financially, and in terms of prospects, completely realistically removes these teams from consideration.

If there will be a trade of Young, these three teams would be the likeliest of landing spots:

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The Diamondbacks have recently been in contact with the Texas Rangers about acquiring third baseman Michael Young, however it appears as though no serious talks have since proceeded. It was recently reported that the Rangers would be willing to pay half of his remaining $48 million contract, or $16 million per season through 2013.

If the Diamondbacks are serious about competing now, like they say they are, they should be making a legitimate play to get Michael Young, assuming that the price the Rangers are asking for will not deplete the farm system. 

More than likely the inquiry was nothing more than Kevin Towers doing his due diligence and the next trade the Diamondbacks will make will be around the trade deadline.

While I don’t expect anything to happen, adding Michael Young to play 3B may just be the piece needed that would allow the Diamondbacks to compete in the NL West. Looking at their divisional opponents’ rosters, all have holes and question marks. 

So before the Diamondbacks quickly dismiss the thought of paying Michael Young $8 million dollars to be on a team that won’t be competitive anyway, they need to ask themselves, what do the other teams in the NL West have that is so impressive? 

Sure, there are a few teams with a couple star players, but could the Diamondbacks sum of their parts be greater than their whole?  Possibly.  We see it every year in baseball.

Michael Young could add a lot of value to the Diamondbacks. He’s a veteran; he’s got postseason experience; he’s a team player and willing to adapt, having moved from shortstop, to second base, to third base, while the Rangers kept acquiring players they thought were better, like Alex Rodriguez and Ian Kinsler. 

It was only on the third time that the Rangers attempted to change Young’s position that he cried foul, when they wanted to move him from third base to DH to make room for Adrian Beltre. 

Although Young is in the twilight of his career, he’s a reliable hitter who hasn’t hit under .284 since 2002, and is capable of hitting between 15-20 home runs. Defensively, he’s able to play 3 of the 4 infield positions which can give the team flexibility in the lineup.

Currently the highest paid player on the roster is Zach Duke at $4.3 million. With the Rangers paying half of Young’s salary it would only cost the Diamondbacks $8 million a year, the amount they paid Brandon Webb to try and rehab last season.

The Diamondbacks have the third lowest payroll in baseball, adding Michael Young would only put them as the sixth lowest, just slightly above the Florida Marlins and their grandiose payroll. So the question to the Diamondbacks is: do you really want to compete, or has the talk during spring training been nothing more than lip service?

Somehow, I think that we already know the answer.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Back in early February, Texas Rangers third baseman Michael Young officially asked to be traded.

However, the Rangers have yet to be involved with any serious offers.

Part of the reason is that Young is set to make $48 million over the next three seasons. Also, Texas is asking for grade-A talent, which could only make matters more difficult.

On March 19th, Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports tweeted that the Rangers are willing to roughly split the $48 million in order to get a deal done.

With that said, should the Cleveland Indians attempt to make an offer?

Well, after trading away fan favorites in Victor Martinez, Casey Blake and Ben Francisco, the Tribe could use someone like Michael Young. They also traded away CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee (consecutive Cy Young award winners in 2007 and 2008).

As for Young, he is a seasoned vet with a legitimate amount of postseason experience who can be a leader for the younger players. In 2010, he batted .284 with 21 homers while driving in 91 runs and hitting 36 doubles.

Since 2002, he is averaging .303 at the plate with 16 jacks, 84 RBI and 36 doubles. The stats are there and are definitely worth considering.

Last season, only Sin-Shoo Choo on the Tribe was comparable to Michael Young, which shows that Cleveland could be in dire straits come 2011.

Also, only Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and Fausto Carmona have multi-million dollar deals, so the Tribe possibly could afford to offer Young a rather long-term deal.

For starters, he is 34 years old and may only have a few good years left.

However, with a new contract and a new team, Young could be willing to take a bit less for a team in a smaller market. The difference here is that he would immediately become the big fish in a small pond.

In Texas, there was Vladimir Guerrero, Josh Hamilton, Cliff Lee (although now in Philly), Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler.

Michael Young could make an immediate impact in Cleveland and become a fan favorite in the process.

The Indians need an experienced third baseman, and it would make their infield very good along with Luis Valbuena and Asdrubal Cabrera.

So, Tribe fans, should the Cleveland Indians make a deal for Texas Ranger Michael Young? You be the judge. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

News of Chase Utley’s tendinitis in his right knee has spread around the baseball world over the past week. While Utley doesn’t look like he’ll need any serious treatment, he’s already received a cortisone shot in the knee, but it didn’t have any effect. He’s rested and stayed off the knee as much as possible, but that was to no avail. He’s even suggested that he could receive either a steroid injection or lubricant injection to speed up the process, but neither are certain as of yet.

Regardless of whether it’s been because of being hit by a pitch or simply overworking himself, Chase Utley has definitely felt the impact of an injury on playing time. Over the last few seasons, Utley has been riddled with injuries, from the broken hand to the torn thumb ligament last season, and now the tendinitis.

ESPN’s SportsCenter recently showed a statistic about second basemen that displayed the amount of additional wins a team has when a second baseman plays every day over his replacement. Chase Utley led this statistic with roughly 21 wins. Boston’s Dustin Pedroia came in second, but by a long shot, only providing roughly 14 wins.

Even though this statistic is both astounding and heartbreaking to Phillies fans, it’s not like they’ve seen replacements at second base in the past. If Utley won’t be ready for Opening Day or even beyond, someone will have to replace him temporarily.

Utley is doing all he can to avoid surgery to help his tendinitis, chondromalacia (cartilage deterioration), and bone inflammation.

But if surgery becomes inevitable in the future, which is still extremely rare, who would fill his shoes?

In no particular order, here are five players who are the most likely to fill in for Chase Utley if needed. 

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In a strange twist of fate in Texas Rangerville, outspoken franchise CEO Chuck Greenberg is on his way out of town, and disgruntled star Michael Young—he of the trade demands and vitriolic accusations aimed at team management—is apparently staying in Arlington.

Young, angered after the team had ousted him yet again from his position with the team, sounded off on Rangers’ management, especially GM Jon Daniels, accusing Texas brass of misleading him and treating him unfairly.

Of course, the Ranger infielder never fully elaborated on his accusations, but his comments aroused healthy doses of speculation as the team entered camp following its most successful season in franchise history.

Young cooled on his initial trade demands after it became apparent that the team wouldn’t be able to accommodate him immediately, nor were they willing to simply for the sake of appeasing him.

As spring training has progressed, the Texas star and management have done their best to put on happy faces, espousing concerns with team success rather than dwelling on the drama bubbling just beneath the surface.

With Opening Day just two weeks away, the prior unrest appears to have subsided for now, but the possibility exists that it could once again rear its ugly head at any time, forcing the Rangers into moving the disgruntled star in an effort to restore harmony among the team.

Let’s take a look at why the Rangers would do well to move Michael Young now, rather than waiting for another problem to arise.

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When the Texas Rangers ponied up and offered free agent Adrian Beltre a six-year, $96 million contract, incumbent third baseman Michael Young, the Rangers all-time leader in hits and several other offensive categories, indicated that he was okay with moving to the role of full-time designated hitter.

Then, the Rangers acquired Mike Napoli from the Toronto Blue Jays, and shortly thereafter, all hell broke loose.

Two weeks prior to the start of spring training, the Texas Rangers went public in saying that Michael Young had demanded to be traded, with general manager Jon Daniels saying that Young had a “change of heart” regarding his role as designated hitter and utility infielder.

One day later, Young ripped the Rangers, telling Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

“The suggestion that I had a change of heart and asked for a trade is a manipulation of the truth. I asked for a trade because I’ve been misled and manipulated and I’m sick of it. Other than that, I’m not going to reveal any details about how this process unfolded. It’s not my nature to start blasting people publicly when I don’t think it’s necessary… But at the end of the day, I know the truth. And so does JD.”

While the Rangers said that they would honor Young’s request for a trade, there have been no significant discussions with any teams, and now, with the calf injury to Beltre early in spring training, the Rangers will certainly be in no hurry to accommodate Young’s request.

While Michael Young has been a consummate professional throughout his career with the Rangers, the current situation is still a distraction, regardless of what Young or anyone else on the Rangers says publicly.

The Rangers can still salvage the situation and try to trade Young, but there are only eight teams on Young’s contract that he has agreed to be traded to: the Yankees, Twins, Astros, Cardinals, Padres, Dodgers, Rockies and Angels. Young has also indicated that he would we willing to waive his no-trade clause to other teams “on a case by case basis.”

So, with that in mind, here are ten ideas that the Texas Rangers can use in order to save face and get value for Michael Young in return.

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Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington has been quoted as telling to Adrian Beltre not to try to rush back or play with his injury.

Heck, why should he rush? The Rangers only have a $16 million utility guy. I’ll repeat that: $16 million reasons for the Texas Rangers not to worry.

However, Michael Young still wants to be traded.

Michael Young is a good talent, but what team is going to take on the mammoth salary he has? A $48 million price tag for the next three seasons is hard to swallow for any team to pay for a 34-year-old player.

Let’s face it, Young isn’t Albert Pujols.

Also, looking at potential teams that would trade for Young, they would want the Rangers to eat most of his contract. So why let him go? We all know what goals the Rangers have this season. Why waste the money and the talent?

The Texas Rangers, as defending American League champions, need to be a nucleus.

Young is part of that nucleus. He, in fact, is the main part of the nucleus.

Michael Young is “a membrane-enclosed organelle found in eukaryotic cells.” In other words, Young holds the nucleus all together.

Michael Young holds most the Rangers’ ability as a multi-talented player that can play more than just one position on a baseball field.

That is key when he plays on a team that is known for its fragile players. Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz, as well as the possible injuries that could happen to Mike Napoli and Adrian Beltre, already proves his value and worth.

While trying to keep that nucleus together, Young is the key.

Young also has to keep things in perspective.

Did a young arrogant owner, Jon Daniels, say something he shouldn’t have? Maybe. But who cares? You have to side with the guy who writes the checks here. If what was said and done was so horrible, we still have to remember he is receiving $16 million to play a game.

A game.

Young needs to sit down and really think about the “suffering” he may be going through and keep it in perspective.

If you asked any other player making the league minimum, they would say, “For $48 million for the next three seasons, I would put on a skirt and serve beer in the stands.”

The Michael Young “situation” really has to be put in perspective in his mind. He played hard for the “blockbuster deal/career contract.” He got it. Now he has to deal with it.

What Young is being asked to do by the Rangers, is the same thing any other player would do, if asked. He is just getting paid more for doing what he is asked at his JOB.

The definition of “job”:

A regular activity performed in exchange for payment, especially as one’s trade, occupation, or profession.

Let’s not forget, Young isn’t the boss at his job. He is an employee. He still gets paid for putting on a “baseball” uniform, not a “mechanic’s” uniform.

A mechanic does a job that is hard work. You know any mechanic making $16 million a year?

Fans of Young love what he has done over the years for the Rangers. However, the fans are beginning to lose respect for him.

It is not about jealousy, it’s about reality. It is hard to feel sorry for Michael Young when he gets paid $16 million a season to play baseball.

If it’s so bad for him, he could just retire.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Michael Young has told Texas he wants out. He told the press he wants out.

One would think he has earned the right to leave with dignity after Texas told him they wouldn’t try to deal him, as they were trying to, and then told him they would deal him, after they had severed negotiations. 

That being said, this isn’t the NBA. No player has ultimate power over ownership. Young will stay in Texas, and will play the season out like the consummate professional that he is. 

But why does Texas need him? 

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A majority of MLB position players will be at the site of their teams’ Spring Training camps by the end of the day Wednesday, and that certainly includes Albert Pujols. The St. Louis Cardinals and Pujols remain far apart on a potential contract extension, meaning a Jamesean (LeBronian?) season of media hoopla lies ahead.

In the meantime, though, there will be real live baseball, with bats and balls and gloves and (hopefully) other things to talk and think about than Albert Pujols’ contract. Read on for some fun and fascinating tidbits from around baseball.

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