Bill Smith, Stay Away From Michael Young

It seems like a match made in heaven.

The Texas Rangers have an unhappy infielder that can hit for a solid average and is a cagey vet. They need pitching in any way they can find it.

The Twins love savvy vets, need an infielder that can hit, and have several live arms that may never make it to the big leagues due to the Twins’ incredible young staff.

Too bad this deal, if it ever went through, it would be so horribly lopsided in favor of the Rangers, the media would crown Bill Smith “The New Isaiah Thomas” and I don’t mean that Smith is a killer point guard or mediocre coach.

While it is true that the Twins have an arm surplus in the minors, with guys like Brian Duensing, Phillip Humber, and even someone like Kevin Mulvey being grossly undervalued given their talent relative to players in other teams’ systems. However, this isn’t the Michael Young of two to three years ago.

If they made this move, the Twins would essentially be gambling that Young would keep his solid play in the field, but revert to his old form at the plate.

Young’s defense was very solid last year, but he has a history of inconsistent play and there is no guarantee that his numbers will hold up on the turf. His offense declined badly last year, falling below the numbers the Twins got from their (ultra-cheap) platoon of Brian Buscher and Brenden Harris, the first real swoon of his career.

If Young had a history of hot and cold years, perhaps this could be explained, but a sharp decline like he experienced in 2008 isn’t likely to be an aberration for a player who just turned 32.

Which brings up another point, Young’s unholy contract. It’s hard to blame John Daniels for locking up Young after his stellar 2005 and very good 2006 seasons, but he went more than a little overboard. Even if the Rangers picked up a quarter of the 80 million dollars Young is owed, he would still be the Twins highest paid player for the 2009 season.

While Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan will eventually pass him, it makes little sense to add an albatross of a contract like Young’s, just as payroll is about to increase next season.

It is hard to see Young rebounding from such a down year in a way that would justify his massive contract for the Twins. Texas would have to eat over half Young’s salary to pull the Twins to the table and for a team that is trying to free up payroll, that won’t jive well.

Perhaps if the Twins were committed to the idea of adding a shortstop, and perhaps if the free agent market were a bit barer than it is, a deal could be struck. However, the Twins have their choice of still available free agents that would cost much less money and a single draft pick rather than Young’s disproportionate deal and whatever other pieces the Rangers would ask in return.