The Michael Young Factor

As I watched Hot Stove on MLB Network tonight, I was ticked off about a conclusion that some of the "experts" on the panel drew.  Matt Vasgerian, Harold Reynolds, Al Leiter, and Ken Rosenthal were on the set discussing the Frank Francisco-for-Mike Napoli trade and some of the ripple effects that might come from it.

First off, Vasgerian (and I don't care if I'm not spelling that right) said Napoli was being brought in to replace Bengie Molina, which is not a true statement.  Yorvit Torrealba and Matt Treanor are here to get the majority of the playing time behind the plate, while Napoli will back them up and be a right-handed option at first base.  He will also be a candidate to DH when Michael Young is playing in the field.

Which leads to my main gripe.  As Rosenthal and Reynolds pointed out that Napoli has the ability to play first and DH, two things that Young probably will be called upon to do this year, they made the assumption that this move (adding Napoli) is a precursor to the Rangers shipping out Michael Young.  Rosenthal even went so far to say that Young doesn't fit on this team anymore.  He also said that even if the team has no plans to move him, they should.  I'm sorry, Mr. Expert, or Mr. Insider, or whatever you want to call yourself, but a guy that has batted around .250 for his five year career is not going to force the team to ship out it's unofficial captain, franchise hits leader, community representative, selfless teammate, and arguably the face of the franchise.  Yes his role has been reduced this season, at least in terms of having a defensive position nailed down, but you could argue he's more valuable now since he will be available in a more versatile role.

I can understand if you were running a fantasy baseball team, collecting and trading and adding and dropping players in an imaginary league on an imaginary team, it could make some sense to try to trade a certain player when you acquire another player who is capable of playing the same positions.  But this isn't fantasy baseball.  You have to factor in what a certain player means to a team, an organization, and a community
in addition to what position slot he fits in on your drop down list on your Yahoo team page.  Young is so much more than just a name on a roster spot.

Don't get me wrong.  I know that if the team had the right offer from the right team, they'd probably pull the trigger and move Young if they would get significantly better by doing so, but the odds of that happening are slim right now.  Young might not finish his career as a Ranger, but he should.  I'm just tired of seeing rumors and speculation that Young doesn't fit anymore or that the team is subtly forcing him out the door.  Offensively he's still a very productive player and is not dropping off considerably in any categories.  I don't think the team feels they are in danger of hanging on to him too long before the game passes him by and he becomes a burden.  Such a feeling would warrant the speculation that team was trying to get rid of him, but that simply is not the case.

What also irked me was not five minutes after discussing Young, the panel talked about a recent statement out of Yankeeland that Derek Jeter may end up playing in the outfield by the end of his new contract.  Reynolds made the statement that Jeter would quit before he'd accept a move off of shortstop.  And somehow this guy is supposed to be a franchise cornerstone and unbelievable teammate, while Young, who has swallowed his pride three times to change positions to help improve his team, is just a piece that can be replaced by Mike Napoli?  Bull crap.

Mike Napoli is here for depth.  He's not here to replace Michael Young, or give the team the ability to seek a trade.  Napoli is a good hitter against left handed pitching, which this team was in need of in 2010, he can play first base (which Michael Young has never actually done, so to say they play the same positions isn't completely true at this point), and he can be an option at catcher, which is important given that position is one that necessitates depth for a good team over the course of a long season.  Napoli makes this team more versatile and thus more complete, at least offensively.

Let's consider the options Ron Washington will have to work with now that these pieces are in place. 

• The outfield should feature Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, and either David Murphy or Julio Borbon.  Hamilton and Murphy can play all three positions, Cruz can play the corners, and Borbon has played left and center, so there is plenty of mix and match potential there.  Even Mitch Moreland could be used in right field.
• The infield, third to first, should be Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler, and either Mitch Moreland or Chris Davis, depending who wins that job.  Young has played third, short, and second, as has incumbent infielder Andres Blanco, while Mike Napoli has played a year at first.  Should Beltre, Andrus, or Kinsler hit the DL at some point in the season, how valuable would it be to plug Young in their position and not worry about it?  It's called depth.
• The catching depth chart right now is Torrealba, Treanor, and Napoli, and the team has already said they expect to keep all three on the active roster.  It benefits the team to have that many options behind the plate during a hot summer in Arlington.  We were spoiled so many years with Pudge, and even Sundberg, playing 150+ games a year and not missing a beat.  That's not normal, and this team is preparing itself to keep those guys as fresh as possible.
• Michael Young is being counted on as the primary DH.  Napoli could see at bats there, too, but he wasn't brought here to be the starting DH.  The team would have just re-signed Vladimir Guerrero and kept Frankie Francisco if they wanted to replace Young with another DH.

So I'll end my rant by saying that a player's worth isn't always quantified by his stats, or his salary, or his defensive abilities.  With some players, but not all, there is a factor involved that can build up a team when he's there, or destroy it if he's moved or angered.  Michael Young gels this team together with his quiet, steady leadership, and I believe this team wins more games because he's a rock that keeps them focused, even after an awesome win or a crushing loss.  That can't be observed in fantasy baseball stats, or, apparently, by tweeting baseball experts sitting on phone books so he matches the height of the rest of the panel on MLB Network.