Rangers History Today: The Michael Young Trade

On this date in Texas Rangers history, the Rangers traded for a then-little-known infielder named Michael Young.

On July 19, 2000, the Toronto Blue Jays were looking for pitching to bolster their run for the postseason. The Rangers, less than a year removed from winning the 1999 American League West crown, were mired in a slump and nearly 10 games back in the division. Esteban Loaiza, to the Blue Jays, represented help on the hill. He was just 5-6 at the time, but he was a vet who had won nine games for the Rangers in 1999.

To make the move, the Rangers wanted prospects. They got two. The first was Darwin Cubillán, a pitcher out of Venezuela who made 27 appearances for Toronto before the trade. Cubillán would not amount to much in the Majors, as he won just one game in 56 career appearances.

Young, of course, became a much different story. Though, at the time, you could argue that no one knew what to expect from Young, either. He had not played a Major League game to that point. The Covina, California native was a fifth-round draft pick in 1997 and spent more than three years working his way through the Blue Jays organization, from its low Class-A affiliate in 1997 to its Double-A affiliate in 2000. His averaged hovered around .300 throughout his time in the minors. He was also an All-Star in 1999 with the Dunedin (Florida) Blue Jays.

The Rangers stashed Young in Double-A for a few months and then promoted him to the Majors, where he wore a uniform in the 2000 season’s final five games and made his debut as a pinch-runner. Young started 2001 at Triple-A Oklahoma City, but on May 25, 2001, the Rangers promoted Young to the Majors, and this time he stuck for good. 

It actually turned out to be one of the most consequential trades in Rangers history, as Young became a cornerstone for the franchise for more than a decade. Young has also been inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and his No. 10 uniform was retired in 2019.

By the way, those 2000 Blue Jays? They finished third in the AL East and failed to make the playoffs.

Also on this date …

July 19, 1977: At Yankee Stadium, shortstop Bert Campaneris represented the Rangers in the All-Star Game.

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• Rangers Notes: Saturday's Game vs Blue Jays Postponed, Five Draft Signings
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