Jim Thome’s performance stole the show in Detroit on Monday and deservedly so, hitting both his 599th and historic 600th homerun helping the Minnesota Twins defeat the Detroit Tigers 9-6. There was another homerun hit by a player of note however that will have much more on an impact on this year’s AL Central Pennant race. Delmon Young.
Before yesterday’s game, Delmon Young switched clubhouses as he was traded to the Twins. Young actually rode the Twins team bus to the game! “Hey, I wasn’t going to take a 30-minute cab ride in from Birmingham, when there was a team bus leaving,” said Young. “It was just a good chance to get to some of the guys before we say goodbye.”
Young was traded for Minor League left-hander Cole Nelson and a player to be named later. Detroit made room for Young on its roster by optioning second baseman Will Rhymes to Triple-A Toledo. Nelson was a 10th-round selection in last year’s First-Year Player Draft, and went 5-11 with a 4.87 ERA for Class A Lakeland. The 6-foot-7 southpaw out of Auburn struck out 87 batters over 105 1/3 innings, but also walked 50. He’ll go to the Twins’ affiliate in the Florida State League in Fort Myers.
Some of the best trades aren’t the most celebrated ones. This one was done pretty quietly with Young clearing waivers. Delmon has been hurt much of this year and his 2011 stats aren’t anything to speak of, but when he’s healthy he can be a force in the lineup. Last year Young hit .298 with 46 doubles, 21 home runs, and a team high 112 RBI, pacing the Twins to a game 163 and a division title.
Delmon, the younger brother of former Tiger Dimitri Young, burst on the scene with a lot of fanfare so long ago with the Tampa Bay Rays at such a young age that I think people often forget how young he still is. Delmon who was chosen by the Rays with the first overall pick in the 2003 MLB Amateur Draft, will turn just 26 next month and is entering the prime of his career.
“I think we acquired a player that was really a beast down the stretch for the Twins,” said Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland. “We’re hoping we can get some of that. He’s had some injuries earlier in the year, but he seems to be over those. I think he’s hit over .300 for the last month or so. He’s 25 years old. He’s a real good player.”
“I know it didn’t bother him that he’s going to hit in front of Cabrera,” Leyland said, with a laugh.
Detroit’s skipper placed Young third in the lineup yesterday and Young responded, promptly hitting a home run in his first at bat in a Tigers uniform, sending the ball over the fence in left-center off Francisco Liriano. On the day he was 2-4.
Young is making $5.38 million in 2011, eligible for arbitration this winter and could file for free agency after next season. The Twins will save $1 million this year, and will avoid going to arbitration with Young after the season.
With Detroit just 2-games up on the Cleveland Indians and 2 ?-games up on the Chicago White Sox, this deal is a no brainer for the Tigers as they needed to replace the non productive 37-year old Magglio Ordonez. Expect Delmon Young to be a difference maker down the stretch and for the Tigers to sign Young to a long term contract going forward.
Not only did the Tigers get themselves an expected All-Star in his prime that they can lock up for years to come, but this may have been the trade that will have the most impact on pennant race baseball this year.
Random Musings
With just 43-games left to play, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are all tied up at 73-46. Barring a collapse, it’s a virtual certainty that both these teams will make the playoffs, one as the AL East Division winner and the other as the AL Wild Card. It will be interesting to see how much rest veterans get down the stretch, particularly on the Yankees, and how much value will be placed on actually winning the division. Do you rest players and try to get your pitching rotation set for the playoffs, or do you do whatever you have to do to win the division?
Normally this is a no brainer as getting set for the playoffs would be the obvious thing to do, but this is the Yankees and Red Sox we’re talking about, and I’m not sure anone will be conceding anything.
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The founder and former owner of MC3 Sports Media, Mike Cardano is the Sr. Business Administrator for RotoExperts and the Executive Director here at TheXLog.com. You may email Mike @ michael.cardano@rotoexperts.com or follow him on Twitter @MikeCardano. Listen to Mike on Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio with Scott Engel and the morning crew Tuesday mornings at 10am ET