DETROIT LANDS DELMON
The Detroit Tigers acquired outfielder Delmon Young from the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Cole Nelson and a player to be named later.
What does it give the Detroit Tigers
The Tigers still pace the AL Central but only barely, and their outfield has struggled lately. Adding Young (a bit surprising, since he had to pass through waivers after the recent dealing deadline) gives Detroit a nice boost now and in future, as he can play left field right away (ahead of the ailing Brennan Boesch) and take some pressure off slumping Magglio Ordonez. Young broke out in 2010 and is a major talent but his disappointing 2011 with Minny (and possibly his history of overall unpredictability) led to this move. Young is arbitration-eligible this winter, but at the end of the day the Tigers get a talented player here for a fairly low price.
What does it give the Minnesota Twins
Nelson is a lanky left-hander with a huge frame and a pretty good K-rate, but he's far from a proven prospect. He's only at the High-A level right now, and isn't exactly dominating there. That said, the small-market Twins drop payroll here by letting Young go, and they have the speedy (and potentially stellar) Ben Revere to step in full-time in left field. They may eventually regret giving up on Young (who is an elite-level slugger when on his game) but Minnesota has a strong track record when it comes to scouting players.
Fantasy impact
