Delmon Young calls out the D-Rays

[ATLien]

Tampa Bay prospect Delmon Young is unhappy about not being called up from the minor leagues this season and said Monday the Devil Rays were reluctant to promote him because the organization is cheap.

The 19-year-old brother of Detroit's Dmitri Young was selected Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year after splitting time this season between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham.

Asked why he felt he was not called up, Young replied: "The only thing I can think of is they're being cheap."

"When it comes to free agency, no use trying to stay around there for the long haul," he said. "Get your six years and leave."

Young, an outfielder who was the first overall pick in the 2003 amateur draft, batted .336 with 20 homers and 71 RBIs in 84 games for Montgomery. He hit .285 with six homers and 28 RBIs in 52 games after joining Durham.

After initially telling reporters on a conference call that he was not disappointed with the Devil Rays' decision, Young changed his stance and criticized the organization.

"I put up great numbers, better than a lot of players who got called up around the majors. A lot of them were on contending teams," Young said. "Tampa's going nowhere this year, so they could at least call up the guys who are going to be there in the future."

Young, who turns 20 on Wednesday, is the youngest player to be picked as minor league player of the year since Andruw Jones won the award as an 18-year-old in 1995 and again in 1996, when he was 19. He's the second Devil Ray to win, joining Rocco Baldelli (2002).

Young said he will prepare for spring training this winter with intentions of making the big league team but that he wouldn't be surprised if the Devil Rays wound up sending him back to Durham for part or all of next season in order to hold down his service time in the majors and extend the time the team unilaterally can set his salary.

Players become eligible for salary arbitration when they have three years of major league service or they are in the top 17 percent of service time among players with two to three years.

"We think Delmon Young is one of the finest players in all of minor league baseball and by sometime next season we believe he will begin to establish himself as an outstanding major league player," Devil Rays general manager Chuck LaMar said.

"Having said that, we saw him play the latter part of August and thought he had had enough. He had already gone from Double-A to Triple-A, and we thought it was time for him to go home and get ready to play winter ball if he wanted to, or if not, get ready for spring training."

[love_that_reefer]

Here's a thought, trade him for some REAL pitching.

[Witlon]

Heh, let's trade a guy who's our best hitter now(although still in Triple A), for pitching. Delmon is the future of the Devil Rays, he will not be moved.

I have no doubt he won't complain when he's starting by the All Star break next year, and the Devil Rays will long forget about this by then.

[love_that_reefer]

Yeah, actually that makes since. They have a great outfield already but what do they lack? OOH YEAH IT'S PITCHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The man is clearly not gonna be happy there and they could make a killing on what they could get for him.

[ATLien]

Why would you want to trade away a potential 40/40 player?

I could understand trading for pitching if they were, say, The Reds (even then, I dunno).. but Tampa's offense as is, is nothing special.

[love_that_reefer]

Nothing special? They only have the second best team average and are 9th in RBI. Please don't be dumb. It's their pitching why they don't win. They are worse than the Reds in need for pitching. And again, the man ain't happy and the D Rays aren't gonna make him happy unless they trade him. That's why.

[MarinersFan87]

Unless you're getting a bonafide, proven, number one pitcher then there is no reason to trade the most talented hitting prospect to come along in a while.

[love_that_reefer]

His numbers got cut in half when he moved to Triple A. Yes he is good but they have a good outfield and you guys are forgetting the main factoid here, he isn't happy and never will be. I know he is not the only one but he as the "top" prospect gives them a lot to think about. And of course you get a bonafide starter and you better get more than one but the D Rays need all the help they can get.

[ATLien]

His numbers got cut in half when he moved to Triple A. Yes he is good but they have a good outfield and you guys are forgetting the main factoid here, he isn't happy and never will be. I know he is not the only one but he as the "top" prospect gives them a lot to think about. And of course you get a bonafide starter and you better get more than one but the D Rays need all the help they can get.

You are blowing his statements way out of proportion.

[love_that_reefer]

By taking it from his own mouth? I wonder why?

[ATLien]

What he says is nothing that harsh, IMO. It's not like he demanded a trade. He just called the organization cheap, which they are.

[love_that_reefer]

I never said he demanded a trade but you have to look at the situation. Your top prospect doesn't want to play for a cheap org.. His numbers have dramatically dropped since his promotion and your team already has a good outfield with Baldelli coming back in 06. Your best pitcher is Kazmir and he won't get to 200 innings, in fact no pitcher will on that team. This team needs pitching and in a bad way. Any GM has to look at this situation and look for a chance to better your only weakness, pitching. No prospects either.

[ATLien]

Trading Delmon because you already have Baldelli is absurd beyond belief.

[love_that_reefer]

Man its great on how you guys pick out what you want to read and not the whole post. Jaw dropping!!!!!!!!

[Saber]

Delmon Young doesn't control his destiny in any way. I don't blame him for wanting to keep out of such a bad organization, but there's little he can actually do about it.