Delmon Young had a fantastic finish to the 2012 season, winning the MVP award for the American League championship series before making it to the World Series with the Detroit Tigers.
Young was excellent during the playoffs, but that was not enough for him to keep his job in Detroit. The outfielder didn't have to wait too long for another job though, as the Philadelphia Phillies signed Young to a one-year deal worth $750,000.
The 27-year-old had a chance to sign a multiyear deal with the Tigers after making $6.75 million last season, but Young made some big mistakes during the season that turned off the franchise, including getting arrested after an incident outside a New York City hotel last spring. According to ESPN.com, Young was suspended seven games without pay by the MLB and later pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment.
"Delmon is an experienced major league bat who will add some depth to our relatively inexperienced outfield and another layer of competition for playing time there as well," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement.
According to ESPN.com, Young was standing outside of the Hilton New York and was accused of yelling anti-Jewish epithets at a group of tourists, tussling with them and tackling one to the ground in April, when the Tigers were in town to play the New York Yankees.
Young was solid on the field last year, hitting .267 with 27 doubles, 18 homers and 74 RBIs for Detroit, but he will need to be on his best behavior with the Phillies if he hopes to last more than one year. Young was at his best in the postseason and the ALCS, hitting .313 with three homers and a team-high nine RBIs during 13 playoff games.
Young's best season was in 2010 with the Twins after hitting.298 with 21 homers and 112 RBIs and finished 10th in AL MVP voting. He was a first overall pick in 2003 with the Rays and has a career average of 284 with 89 homers and 482 RBIs with Tampa Bay (2006-07), Minnesota (2008-11) and Detroit.
As a right-handed hitter, Young will provide some security for Chase Utley and cleanup hitter Ryan Howard and will help provide depth in the outfield for the Phillies. Amaro said that Young is expected to be the primary right fielder, although he hasn't played there since 2007. According to ESPN, Young revealed he had ankle surgery in November, which could keep him from starting on Opening Day.
The Phillies have made a number of moves after missing the playoffs last season, including making a trade with the Minnesota Twins for outfielder Ben Revere for right-handed pitchers Vance Worley and Trevor May. The 24-year-old has spent two full seasons with the Twins after making his major league debut in 2010. He hit .294 with 32 RBIs and 40 stolen bases in 124 games in 2012. He ranked third in baseball in steals behind Mike Trout and Rajai Davis and was caught only nine times.
Philadelphia was in the market for a center fielder after trading starter Shane Victorino to the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Victorino recently signed a three-year deal with the Boston Red Sox. Other free agent options for the Phillies included Angel Pagan and B.J. Upton, who both signed with other clubs.
Young will provide some extra power in the lineup and could help the Phillies inc clutch situations, much like when he hit a tying home run in the sixth inning of Game 4 of the World Series. San Francisco won 4-3 in 10 innings to complete a sweep of the Tigers.
The Phillies also have Darin Ruf, who hit 38 homers at Double-A Reading and will likely compete for a spot in left field. The team also has Domonic Brown, Laynce Nix and John Mayberry Jr. on the roster and all three should get time in the outfield. If Young starts every day, the combination of players likely would platoon in the other outfield spots.
Young played at designated hitter for most of last season, but had 29 games in left field. He has made 156 career starts in right field, including 127 for Tampa Bay in 2007. The outfield was formerly a strength for the Phillies, who won five-straight NL East titles from 2007 to 2011 with names like Aaron Rowand, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez, Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino roaming the outfield grass.
Pence was traded to the Giants, where he will earn $13.8 million, while Victorino signed a $39 million, three-year deal with Boston after being traded to the Dodgers.
The Phillies only went 81-81 last season after winning three straight division titles and making five consecutive playoff appearances. The team won the World Series in 2008 and made it back to the championship in 2009 before falling to the New York Yankees.
Philadelphia was ranked just 19th in the league in runs scored and the leading base stealer on the team was Juan Pierre with 37. Only three players on the team posted double-digit steal totals and 116 on the season. Revere should help the Phillies in both categories greatly and Young will be one of the players in the lineup who can drive runs in on a consistent basis.
