Thoughts on the Delmon Young trade

I've read the e-mails and responses on twitter. You are not happy with the Twins deal with Delmon Young.

That's expected, because fans want to see the Twins add talent. On paper, they added some talent but seemingly not enough for someone with Young's potential.

You're right.

But this deal had more to do about business than it did talent.

FACT: Young was making $5.375 million this year and was headed to arbitration, where he could get a raise for 2012.

$6 million-ish for a corner outfielder batting .271 with 4 home runs is a lot of money. Too much money for Twins team whose payroll was pushing $115 million (some have said more like $118 million). There were rumblings that the Twins were going to non-tender Young during off season because they didn't want to pay him that much. Players get raises during their arbitration years. Don't hate the player, hate the arbitration game.

Teams aren't dumb, they know a potential non-tender when they see one. That's going to affect what they give up. In recent years, the Tigers have traded for Jarrod Washburn and Aubrey Huff for the stretch drive, then let them go during the offseason. Young will have to go on a major run of destruction to get Detroit to tender him a contract during the offseason.

They were willing to deal him at the July 31 trade deadline in 2010 and this year. I'm going to have to check the planetary datalinks to see if they were willing to deal him during this past offseason, but I don't think so. Coming off of .298-21-112 RBI last season - or .298/.333/.493, if you like - the Twins felt Young was ready to take the next step. He bulked up during the offseason, looking like he was going after big power numbers. But he had turf toe in spring training and landed on the DL twice during the regular season.

This July, the couple teams that were interested wanted the Twins to eat salary.

FACT: Young has been awful.

His poor season couldn't have come at a worse time.

CONSEQUENTLY: The Twins had to get what they could for Young, and moving a little salary doesn't hurt. They got righthander Lester Oliveros and lefthander Cole Nelson. Both sound like projects. The Twins are worried about lefties in their farm system, so Nelson gives them another one. Oliveros has a live arm and can turn out to be a power reliever. Is he another Jim Hoey? I have no idea.