The Detroit Tigers made a huge and unexpected splash today by acquiring outfielder Delmon Young from the Minnesota Twins for A-League pitching prospect Cole Nelson and a player to be named later. The player to be named later must be chosen by the Twins on or before October 15th.
The Tigers already have an open spot on the 40 man roster and it’s not yet clear whether or not Young has cleared waivers or, according to MLBTradeRumors.com, has cleared all American League teams enabling the Tigers to win the claim.
Young, 25, is hitting just .266/.305/.357 in 325 plate appearances and is regarded as a sub-par defender in the outfield. Young has also spent some time on the DL on two separate occasions for an oblique and ankle strain.
Again this is a very unexpected trade considering it happened between two divisions which is something you don’t see too often in the MLB. Furthermore the acquisition of Young by the Tigers potentially means that the right field job held by Magglio Ordonez might be in jeopardy.
Drafted first overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2003 Young was the centerpiece in a deal that saw Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza sent to Tampa Bay. Now despite posting solid bating averages, Young hasn’t quite lived up to his potential as he’s failed to draw walks and consistently hit for power.
Source: Associated Press, MLBTradeRumors.com