By MIKE PIELLUCCI
FOXSportsSouthwest.com
Throughout his Texas Rangers career, Michael Young has been willing to sacrifice for the good of ball club. True to form, he said he is open to doing that yet again through another position change.
With reports that the Rangers are close to finalizing a six-year,$96 million contract with free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, Young has expressed a willingness to move from the hot corner to designated hitter in order to accommodate Beltre.
"I'll do what I have to do to stay on this team," Young told the Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant. "I'm happy to be here and proud to be part of this team. I want to stay a part of it.
"If it means getting the bulk of my at-bats as the DH, then that's what I'll do."
Young has switched positions twice. Before the 2004 season, Young volunteered to move from second base to shortstop to free up the spot for new acquisition Alfonso Soriano. Then, in 2009, Young was asked to move to third base to facilitate the development of Elvis Andrus at shortstop, a move that he initially balked at before eventually accepting.
Now, as rumors abound that he could be traded should he not accept another position change, Young said he wants to remain a Ranger, no matter the cost.
"I want to be part of a good team; that's what I'm thinking about," Young said. "I want to be here and be a highly productive player here."
Although there is certainly much that can be questioned regarding the financial wisdom behind committing a reported $16 million annually to the 31-year-old Beltre on top of the annual $18 million that Young will make through 2013, there is a lot to like from a baseball perspective.
The most obvious upgrade is defensively. Beltre is regarded as among baseball's best defensive third basemen, if not the premier player at the position. Beltre and Andrus would give the Rangers perhaps the best defensive left side of the infield in the majors.
Such a prospect would be dramatically better than what Young provided. Although the veteran is the undisputed clubhouse leader and still more than holds his own at the plate, his defense at the hot corner fluctuated between adequate on a good day and unnerving on every other.
Obviously, Young's defense would be a non-factor at DH, but another intriguing scenario involves him playing a super-utility role around the infield similar to what Chone Figgins played in his days with the Angels. Having the flexibility of utilizing Young anywhere in the infield as needed would give Texas an advantage over their American League rivals, especially given that Young already has ample experience at three of the four positions.
The spot he hasn't played - first base - could be where he spends the bulk of his time, however. Young would be the ideal right-handed complement to help break left-handed Mitch Moreland into his first full major league season, not to mention that first base would be where the team could best hide Young's diminished range.
Should Beltre in fact sign with Texas, there would still be plenty of questions to be answered, not the least of which is how well the newest Ranger would produce in a non-contract year.
Fortunately for the Rangers, the question of Michael Young is already decided.
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