Michael Young wants out of Texas

Apparently, the Rangers asked Michael Young to play third base this year. Michael Young told the Rangers to trade him.

Of course the price would be exorbitant, but for everyone who wants a "real" shortstop, here's one that is apparently on the market.

about 3 years ago Bill Potter 36 comments 0 recs |

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Ive always wanted him...

but Without looking I think he has a 52 million dollar contract or something close to it. highly doubt we can afford him.

Dear Santa:: All I want for X-mas this year is an official 2009 Jake Peavy Cubs Jersey. Oh and a Beimel one too. I've been a real good guy for the most part!!!

by cubsluver22 on Jan 11, 2009 10:00 PM CST reply actions

…Bill James says his defense is suspect at best, and Theriot is coming off of a solid 2nd full year… I think the Cubs are better off with Theriot (and his minimal salary) for a while so that they can use the big bucks elsewhere (Peavy, Roberts, etc)..

One thing you learned as a Cubs fan: when you bought you ticket, you could bank on seeing the bottom of the ninth.
Joe Garagiola

by Ryan at Cubshub on Jan 11, 2009 10:01 PM CST reply actions

Yeah, if theyre asking him to move to third, perhaps they see his decline coming quicker

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Jan 11, 2009 11:35 PM CST up reply actions

also what they see

is Elvis Andrus, a plus plus defender, being ready soon

by Cubinator on Jan 12, 2009 5:15 PM CST up reply actions

I agree with Ryan

Peavey / Roberts is way to go …

by CUBFANINAZ on Jan 12, 2009 9:11 AM CST up reply actions

agree too, but theres no way you're getting both of them

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Jan 12, 2009 9:39 AM CST up reply actions

bill james

is an idiot. young just won a gold glove. thats suspect??

Dear Santa:: All I want for X-mas this year is an official 2009 Jake Peavy Cubs Jersey. Oh and a Beimel one too. I've been a real good guy for the most part!!!

by cubsluver22 on Jan 11, 2009 10:05 PM CST reply actions

Gold gloves aren't the gold standard

Not even close.

Here’s only one egregious example.

Bill James may be a lot of things, but an idiot is not one of them.

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Jan 11, 2009 10:09 PM CST up reply actions

i'm sorry

but anyone that tells me a players defense is suspect after a gold glove campaign I will not respect nor agree with. I may be wrong with my assertion and thats ok, everyone’s entitled to his/her opinion.

Dear Santa:: All I want for X-mas this year is an official 2009 Jake Peavy Cubs Jersey. Oh and a Beimel one too. I've been a real good guy for the most part!!!

by cubsluver22 on Jan 11, 2009 10:15 PM CST up reply actions

gold gloves are a popularity contest

sometimes, it does result in a guy winning one that is deserving. other times, it doesn’t.

on young – last year was one of his better defensive years in awhile. he’s still a below average shortstop, but he wasn’t tremendously horrible last year. That said, there were shortstops that were better than young defensively last year. actually, let’s just focus on the al, because of the gold glove. The guy that should’ve won the gold glove, the best defensive shortstop in the al last year, was orlando cabrera. I believe Aviles was a plus shortstop, somewhat surprising me a bit. Bartlett, while overrated defensively, was an above average shortstop as well. Erick Aybar, Jed Lowrie, Adam Everett. Now, you could cross a lot of them out if you wanted to claim that Young handled more AB’s, but you can’t cross out Cabrera. He was by far the best shortstop in the AL last year.

by toonsterwu on Jan 12, 2009 3:27 AM CST up reply actions

Gold Gloves are a joke.

Rafael Palmeiro once won one (1999) in a season where he spent 135 games at DH and 28 at 1B.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jan 12, 2009 4:14 AM CST up reply actions

That's what I linked to above

It was the best example I could think of.

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Jan 12, 2009 5:28 AM CST up reply actions

so now

because palmeiro won a gg he didnt deserve 10 years all gold gloves are a joke?? derek lee’s gold gloves are a joke??

Dear Santa:: All I want for X-mas this year is an official 2009 Jake Peavy Cubs Jersey. Oh and a Beimel one too. I've been a real good guy for the most part!!!

by cubsluver22 on Jan 13, 2009 11:11 AM CST up reply actions

They're not always a joke...

…but they’re not a good way to judge a defender. Nate McClouth won one for ’08, and there have been some pretty sound arguments made that he was far from being a good defensive centerfielder.

RIP Ron Asheton (1948-2009)

by daver on Jan 13, 2009 11:35 AM CST up reply actions

Agreed

by BLou on Jan 13, 2009 12:07 PM CST up reply actions

In other words, you've already made up your mind

and we shouldn’t confuse you with facts.

Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! --Homer J. Simpson

by Shanghai Badger on Jan 12, 2009 5:28 AM CST up reply actions

Seriously, dude, you need let go of the Gold Glove thing.

RIP Ron Asheton (1948-2009)

by daver on Jan 12, 2009 10:43 AM CST up reply actions

The Cubs just traded a guy who is a better defensive SS than Young.

A lot cheaper, too.

"I've never complained about it. I'm thankful to have a jersey." Mark DeRosa, 22 Aug 2007

by DeRoMyHero on Jan 11, 2009 10:16 PM CST reply actions

you may or may not be right

but having watched young play alot, I just come away with the opinion he makes almost all the plays he’s supposed to. sure he may not be a glamourous type ss but he almost always puts himself into the right position to make a play.

Dear Santa:: All I want for X-mas this year is an official 2009 Jake Peavy Cubs Jersey. Oh and a Beimel one too. I've been a real good guy for the most part!!!

by cubsluver22 on Jan 11, 2009 10:20 PM CST up reply actions

Definitely.

Young will make all of the plays on balls he gets to, but his range is worse than Theriot’s. He does have a very strong arm, and he is much better on the pivot than Riot.

I’m surprised that he had such a vociferous reaction considering that DeRo is one of his best friends and he constantly praised DeRo’s selflessness when they were teammates. It would also make the Rangers a better team, because Andrus will be this generation’s Ozzie Smith at SS.

Moving to 3B is actually a way for him to lengthen his career since he won’t be hit so often. He has four years left on his contract, so he doesn’t have to try to stay at SS to get a bigger payday in FA.

Slick, I’m surprised at you!

"I've never complained about it. I'm thankful to have a jersey." Mark DeRosa, 22 Aug 2007

by DeRoMyHero on Jan 11, 2009 10:29 PM CST up reply actions

If...

… we were getting the 2005 version of Michael Young, I’d say fine.

But to spend that much money to get a guy who had an OPS+ of 96 last year? Forget it. Theriot posted an OPS+ of 93 last year for far less dough.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jan 12, 2009 4:16 AM CST reply actions

whats the baseline for OPS+, 125?

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Jan 12, 2009 8:44 AM CST up reply actions

What do you mean by "baseline"?

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jan 12, 2009 8:48 AM CST up reply actions

I thought there was an average number

OPS+, Adjusted OPS, is a closely related statistic. OPS+ is OPS adjusted for the park and the league in which the player played, but not for fielding position. An OPS+ of 100 is defined to be the league average. An OPS+ of 150 or more is excellent and 125 very good, while an OPS+ of 75 or below is poor

courtesy of wikipedia…..so 100 is considered average/baseline

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Jan 12, 2009 8:52 AM CST up reply actions

Right.

I think this Wikipedia description is pretty accurate.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jan 12, 2009 11:13 AM CST up reply actions

so theyre both below average power hitters

But knowing the avg OPS+ for shortstops would make it easier to rank them amongst the other 28 fulltime SS

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Jan 12, 2009 1:05 PM CST up reply actions

Keep prospects

Keep prospects for Peavey / Roberts trade .. We need a leadoff hitter badly .. also a switchhitter , basestealer ,run producer , allstar named Brian Roberts .. wouldn’t trade for Young .. 2 more trades to go all the way .. Peavey / Roberts ..

by CUBFANINAZ on Jan 12, 2009 9:09 AM CST reply actions

Sorry

That isn’t happening.

by rlpete on Jan 12, 2009 10:45 AM CST up reply actions

yeah

The Cubs don’t have enough to get Roberts AND Peavy. That much is very clear.

by elgato on Jan 12, 2009 11:30 AM CST up reply actions

OK

lets take a poll … who would you rather read about in a major trade today ??? Cubs just traded for Roberts ?? the Cubs just traded for Peavey ??? I would rather have an everyday player instead of a guy who pitches every fifth day .. even an good to average pitcher would win alot adding Roberts to the already good Cubs team .. I would rather hear Roberts name .. plus add his defense up the middle ..

by CUBFANINAZ on Jan 12, 2009 5:09 PM CST up reply actions

by BLou on Jan 13, 2009 12:09 PM CST up reply actions

This is a good poll idea.

I’ll post it.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Jan 14, 2009 11:30 AM CST up reply actions

No

His defense is suspect. His overall play has been decreasing the past few years and he makes a lot of money. I would have signed Furcal rather than trade the people necessary for this deal.

by rlpete on Jan 12, 2009 10:45 AM CST reply actions