Michael Young is expected to become Texas’ primary designated hitter after the Rangers signed Adrian Beltre to a five-year, $80 million contract to replace him at third base, so not surprisingly today general manager Jon Daniels said the team is “out” of the mix to re-sign Vladimir Guerrero.
Guerrero out-produced Young by a wide margin last season, topping his OPS by 67 points, but Guerrero is also two years older than Young, struggled mightily in the second half, and offers zero defensively versatility. And perhaps most importantly, Young is owed $16 million per season through 2013.
If the Rangers could simply trade Young and his contract they’d likely do so and perhaps make an effort to re-sign Guerrero, but in order to deal Young they’d have to eat a significant portion of the $48 million he’s still owed. At this point it seems likely that Guerrero will have to accept a one-year deal for less than the $6.5 million he earned in 2010, as his list of potential suitors is rapidly shrinking with the Angels reportedly out of the mix as well.