By Cesar Tordesillas

Arlington, TX

Texas Rangers designated hitter Michael Young has waived his no-trade clause and accepted a move to the Philadelphia Phillies where he will get more playing time, according to a source.

In return, the source said the Rangers will get right-handed reliever Josh Lindblom and minor league righty Lisalverto Bonilla.

The source added that the Rangers will have to pay at least half of Young's $16 million 2013 salary to complete the deal. Young will receive $1.2 million in "benefits" in exchange for waiving his no-trade clause.

This marks the first time that Young will be wearing another Major League jersey in his 12-year career.

Young was drafted by Toronto in the fifth round of the 1997 draft but became a Ranger when he was shipped by the Blue Jays in 2000 for right-hander Esteban Loaiza.

He had a brief two-game major league debut later that same year but his first hit came in 2001 when he was called up in May and never sent down again. He played in 106 games and became an everyday player the following season.

Young started as a second baseman and placed second in the Gold Glove voting in 2003 at the position. He moved to shortstop the following year and hit .313 with 22 homers and 99 RBIs and made his first of seven All-Star appearances.

The next season, Young won the AL batting title the next season, hitting .331.

This season, he struggled in 2012, hitting .277, his lowest mark since 2002, which was his first full season in the majors. He had eight homers and a .682 OPS, both the lowest of his career.

"Because Michael Young has spoiled everyone getting 200 hits every year and hitting .300 every year, by his standards, his year was a little off," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of Young Wednesday.

"You take his standard of what he put together last year and put on a player where the expectations aren't so high, it's not a bad year. By Michael Young's standards maybe you guys see it as a bad year," Washington added.

Young is the franchise's all-time hits leader with 2,230, breaking Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez's mark in June 2010. He also leads the club's career numbers in games played (1,823), at-bats (7,399), runs (1,085), singles (1,583), doubles (415), triples (55), total bases (3,286), multihit games (651), strikeouts (1,152) and sacrifice flies (70).

Young has a career .301 batting average and 984 RBIs; both are third-most in Rangers history. He has six seasons of at least 200 hits, including five straight from 2003 to 2007.

He was also an integral part of two consecutive AL championship teams in 2010 and 2011 and started all 33 of the Rangers' playoff games during those runs.

 

 

Rangers Designated Hitter Michael Young Accepts Trade to Phillies