Beltre Close to Deal with Texas

by bighead306 on Jan 3, 2011 2:40 PM EST

Many sources say Adrian Beltre is close to a deal with the Texas Rangers. This could mean Michael Young is available. Although he is making over 13 mil next year, he would be a great fit for the Twinsif they could get Texas to pay some of his salary next year. He is a career 300 hitter andaverages around 20 homers and 40 doubles a year. He was at 3rd base last year but won a gold glove at short in 2008. The Twins could move him back to shortstop and Alexi Casilla back the super utility role. Also he could be insurance if Danny Valencia struggles and 3rd base like Parker Hagerman of Star Tribune thinks he might. We could just moveYoung back to 3rd and let Cassila play Short. To have Young bat 2nd in the lineup with Mauer and Morneau behind him that's probably the best 2,3,4 lineup in the game. All can hit 300 and all have hit 20 or more homers. He's just the right handed bat we need and with Beltre signing with the Rangers means he will most likely be traded, hopefully to the Twins.

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Boy I don't know

But regardless, thanks for bringing up this topic as it seems to be a hot commodity around here.

I think Michael Young is definately a Twins kind of ball player

I think Michael Young still has plenty of Juice left in the tank

I think Michael Young is a winner, and always has been (although no rings to show for it)

BUT BUT BUT can he still play SS?
AND AND AND would the rangers eat almost half is 13MM salary this year for it to work out?

IF we/you/they can answer those two questions for me, I’d be more than a ambassador/ proponet to bringing him in here as a Twin to play SS first, and 3B second.

I called it - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!

Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?

I hate Hunter Wendelstedt, you hate Hunter Wendelstedt we all hate hunter w

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Jan 3, 2011 5:48 PM EST reply actions

I'd be willing to deal big time prospect(s) to get him too

if the Rangers could eat say 5-7 Million of his salary.

I called it - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!

Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?

I hate Hunter Wendelstedt, you hate Hunter Wendelstedt we all hate hunter w

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Jan 3, 2011 5:50 PM EST up reply actions

sign manny to play SS!

by bl4ckduck on Jan 3, 2011 6:45 PM EST up reply actions

Big time prospects for a shortstop?

You can get a shortstop for 2 middle reliever prospects

by DJL44 on Jan 3, 2011 7:57 PM EST up reply actions

Can he play short? Never really could. Will the Rangers eat $$$? Not likely.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Jan 3, 2011 6:05 PM EST up reply actions

this

Michael Young is not a major league SS.

by ravenfly on Jan 3, 2011 6:29 PM EST up reply actions

OTOH

we do need more winners…

by ravenfly on Jan 3, 2011 6:29 PM EST up reply actions

+1

come on guys….. Danny V isn’t going to do what he did in the bigs last year for 6 months this season…..no way

I think he’d be great insurance at 3B and probably could be a better SS than either Nishioka and possibly Casilla (partially because of the big offensive difference)

You can argue his numbers will come down, you can argue he had an inflated year last year but the guy can play.

I called it - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!

Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?

I hate Hunter Wendelstedt, you hate Hunter Wendelstedt we all hate hunter w

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Jan 4, 2011 1:50 AM EST up reply actions

that was tongue-in-cheek

You don’t get into the very best professional baseball league without being a “winner,” whatever that means.

by ravenfly on Jan 5, 2011 4:15 PM EST up reply actions

He won

A gold glove at short

by bighead306 on Jan 3, 2011 6:59 PM EST reply actions

Jeter wins a gold glove every year

By just about every metric, he’s one of the worst shortstops in the league.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Jan 3, 2011 7:01 PM EST up reply actions

gold gloves tell you nothing at all about defensive value

by ravenfly on Jan 5, 2011 4:15 PM EST up reply actions

Thats true

but hes not Jeter so i did something right. I know hes not the best at short and getting old but as good as Casilla can look at 2nd im not so sure how good he will be at short because i dont think his arm is strong enough. At short i feel they could almost be a wash defensively then you add Youngs bat and hes way ahead

by bighead306 on Jan 3, 2011 7:27 PM EST reply actions

Young is probably better overall than Casilla at short

But the difference is marginal because Young’s range is so poor. A shortstop only gets four changes a game to get a hit or walk. Be he might get six or eight chances to prevent hits. If Casilla prevents at least one hit a game more than Young, the difference in their offense is mitigated. I would argue that Casilla will prevent between one and two hits a game that Young does not. So it is pretty even when all is said and done.

When you factor in the total cost of Young, it’s probably not worth going for. The Rangers will want a couple of good prospects. They will not take on his whole contract—half would be generous. And when the season is over, you’re right back where you were—you don’t know who your shortstop will be. At least we will find out if Casilla is the shortstop for the next three years or not. That’s valuable.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Jan 3, 2011 7:42 PM EST up reply actions

that is a good point

however, I’d rather have 1 marginal year from Young at SS and 3B then 3 years of Casilla at any position

maybe it is just me

I called it - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!

Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?

I hate Hunter Wendelstedt, you hate Hunter Wendelstedt we all hate hunter w

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Jan 4, 2011 1:52 AM EST up reply actions

Give Casilla a chance

He’s never had a full season of starting in the majors. He’s only 25. Let’s see him for a year before we dismiss him or embrace him. If he fails this year, you know he’s not the answer. That’s something.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Jan 4, 2011 9:28 AM EST up reply actions

fair enough

I called it - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!

"Matt Millen ran Barry Sanders out of town he Drove the Lions into the ground
and now he acts as if he is a know it all NFL analyst" -favre

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Jan 5, 2011 12:19 AM EST up reply actions

good point. i feel like his continue mlb limbo has really hurt his development

by bl4ckduck on Jan 5, 2011 9:02 PM EST up reply actions

48M reasons

Young would be an excellent addition to the Twins. But there’s no way on earth we take on his contract. 16M a year for the next 3 years. Could get him for next to nothing depending upon what Texas would eat of his contract. Way to much of a gamble for Twins to take on a player whose only good for his bat in the very near future. He would look nice in our batting order, though. They couldn’t pay Hardy around 6M a year. What makes you think they want to take on 48M in payroll for a 34 year old who can’t field any position.

by rico7961 on Jan 3, 2011 8:50 PM EST reply actions

I didn't even look at the long term

For some reason, I assumed he’d be a free agent after 2011. Three years? Gack.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Jan 3, 2011 9:10 PM EST up reply actions

Wow, double gack!

That’s freaking nuts. They’re paying him 16/year for the next 3 years?!?! And they don’t have anywhere to play him? They’ll have to give him away and take on salary to get rid of him. He’s a good player, but he’s 34 and he’s more like $10/ year good, not $16/year good.

(and they’re replacing him with another 3rd baseman they’re going to pay almost $20/year for through his mid-30s? You’re strange Texas.)

by Luke in MN on Jan 4, 2011 12:28 PM EST up reply actions

And Beltre isn't $20/year good

Especially after a big contract, he’s more like $10 mill a year good.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Jan 4, 2011 1:06 PM EST up reply actions

If we traded for young I would throw up in my mouth a little

Especially if we gave up much for him. While a good offensive player, If we had the money to pay him we’d have been ten times better off keeping Hardy. I was even one of the people that didn’t freak out about trading Hardy but if the Twins plan all along was to go get a big bat to play SS then I think I’d lose some confidence that they didn’t just keep their own guy in Hardy. While Hardy isn’t as good offensively his defense basically makes him on par with Young.

Peyton's good but have you ever heard of Jeff George?

by halfchest on Jan 4, 2011 10:49 AM EST reply actions