Texas Rangers plan on putting Michael Young in squad for Spring Training
The Texas Rangers are preparing for the regular season in Major League Baseball and the position players will be looking to join in on Sunday, this week. General Manager, Jon Daniels, was available at camp to talk about one particular player who will make
the cut for the squad this season. That star happens to be Michael Young; the 34-year old veteran will be part of the roster which joins the pitchers and the catchers for official training.
The slugger has demanded a transfer from the Rangers, and said that he had been ‘misled and manipulated’. No trade has been made yet.
A lot of staff meetings were held to talk of the situation concerning Young and his role at the club. Much to the satisfaction of the fans, the disgruntled star is included in the club’s short term plans and Daniels was present at the camp in Surprise, Arizona,
to iterate that stance clearly.
“We're preparing for Michael to be on the club,” general manager Jon Daniels. “We have to prepare for him to be on the club. In all our meetings, everything we're setting up, the workouts and stuff, are based on that. We're planning on him being on the team.”
The veteran was moved to the Designated Hitter position during the winter break after free agent Adrian Beltre was brought in to fill the role of a third baseman. Young’s favourite position happens to be on shortstop but during his career, he’s moved around
the infield region to accommodate other players. The signing of Beltre, followed by potential DH, Mike Napoli was the last straw for Young, who saw his prospects in the team decline.
The Rangers have tried their best to find a suitable club and a deal in exchange for the 34-year old. There are only eight teams that the Rangers can trade him out to but only two of those clubs, Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers, have shown some
interest.
“It's the same situation. Nothing has changed. We fully expect him to be a part of the team but at the same time we're looking at the possibilities for trades. The only thought process is we want what is best for the organization.”
Young’s role in the club as a designated hitter and a super utility player is thought to be an extremely important one for the Rangers, in Daniels’ opinion.
“With him in that role, we could be a very strong, deep versatile team. That's the way the club was put together and that's still our plan.”
It will be interesting to see what happens if the Rangers hold onto Young and use him in his new role. With a trade looking unlikely, this may spell an awkward partnership in the making.
Tags: