Posted: Monday, December 8, 2008, 2:05 PM | 81 comments |
 
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Paul Hagen reporting from the winter meetings in Las Vegas:

Throwing out the ceremonial first rumor of the winter meetings ...

Phillies baseball personnel have been asking pointed questions about Twins outfielder Delmon Young, the former overall No. 1 draft choice of Tampa Bay, sources told the Daily News. Young is probably best known for a 2006 incident when he was suspended 50 games in the minor leagues for throwing his bat at an umpire. (See the video of the incident below.)

He was traded to the Twins after the 2007 season. The Phils are believed to be looking for a replacement for Pat Burrell, who is not expected to re-sign.

Young has yet to show Burrell’s power. He’s hit just 26 home runs in 1,346 big-league at bats. Last season he batted .290 with 10 homers and 69 RBI for Minnesota. But he’s still just 23 years old.

The Twins have an excess in the outfield with Michael Cuddyer returning from an injury-plagued season, Carlos Gomez (who came from the Mets in the Johan Santana trade) and Denard Span, who has established himself as their leadoff hitter.

So they are apparently willing to listen to offers for Young. A potential snag from the Phillies perspective is that they almost certainly would ask for top prospect Jason Donald and are also seeking bullpen help.

Young has developed a reputation for being somewhat hardheaded and uncoachable, one of the reasons Tampa Bay was willing to trade him. At the same time, he’s still just 23 years old, clearly has talent and appears to fit a Phillies need.

 


Posted by Paul Hagen @ 2:05 PM  Permalink | 81 comments
81
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:10 PM, 12/08/2008
    another Milton Bradley. no thanks.
    potus
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:18 PM, 12/08/2008
    Does anyone else think Clay Condrey may be overvalued by some teams based on his decent numbers last year? Not that I think Donald and Condrey for Young is a good deal, but if there's anyone expendable in the bullpen that might be potentially attractive to other teams, it would be him.
    B in DC
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:22 PM, 12/08/2008
    How about we ask Albert Belle and Vince Coleman to come out of retirement and help us out, too?
    Jack Klompus
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:26 PM, 12/08/2008
    B in DC, I'm right there with you...if we could get anything of value for the other CC, I'd take it in a second....Donald can't go anywhere...he is our 3B after Feliz leaves next year....or when he gets hurt this year. But personally, I'm not interested in Young...like the tools, just too many problems.
    Curse of Billy Penn
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:27 PM, 12/08/2008
    I like the idea of trying Donald in the OF.
    ktdb05
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:29 PM, 12/08/2008
    I think Young will be better than Bradley, but I don't think either is worth the headache. The Phils should go after Ron Artest and Todd Bertuzzi.
    B in DC
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:34 PM, 12/08/2008
    Are you kidding? Get this guy under the wings of J-Roll, Utley, Howard and Uncle Cholly - and let him hit for 81 games in that bandbox on Broad - and this is a deal you have to make. Ruben, my friend, if you're listening, go get 'im.
    addude13
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:35 PM, 12/08/2008
    Trust me, the Phils do NOT want the headache this guy brings. He was one or two votes shy of ROY in 2007 when the (then-Devil) Rays had him, yet they traded him. Why? Every day was a media circus down here around him. He's basically the TO-in-training of baseball, and there's no place for a guy like that in Philly. Let the Twins keep him - or better yet, let the Mets take him and they can self-implode even more!
    EaglesFanInStPete
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:35 PM, 12/08/2008
    B in DC, do you post at the trolls.net?
    chestercountyvoter
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:39 PM, 12/08/2008
    I'd venture to say the Phillies are 'interested' in a lot players. I wouldn't read much into it at this point.
    pgcd3
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:40 PM, 12/08/2008
    I would offer up Kyle Kendrick for him and see if they bite
    dawggone
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:40 PM, 12/08/2008
    Delmon Young has a TON of talent ... but, without a doubt, alot of head problems too. If we had a stricter manager, someone who didn't coddle players instead of teach them to play hardnosed baseball (someone like Larry Bowa), maybe I'd take the risk, but with Cholly at the helm it seems like a dangerous waste of time.
    wcgiles
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:44 PM, 12/08/2008
    Never have posted at Trolls.net. What the heck is that? Does it have to do with Troll dolls? If so, I'm there.
    B in DC


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About David Murphy
David Murphy joined the Daily News as its Phillies beat writer in February of 2008. Born in Upper Merion and raised in the Poconos, he attended college at La Salle University before taking jobs with the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Sun-News and the St. Petersburg ( Fla. ) Times. E-mail Dave at dmurphy@phillynews.com.

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