Confirmed: Michael Young wants out of Texas - MLB

ESPN.com’s Buster Olney was definitely on to something when he wrote Saturday that “something has changed” in the relationship between the Rangers and Michael Young. He wants a trade. And the Rangers are going to try to meet that request.

A source familiar with the situation told Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports on Sunday afternoon that Texas will “attempt to trade” Young in the coming days because the infielder “has grown disillusioned with his diminished role on the team.”

The Rangers brought in Adrian Beltre on a massive free agent contract this offseason and will start him at third base in 2011. When that deal was initially signed, it moved Young to the DH role. But then the Rangers traded for Mike Napoli and Young took quick notice this weekend that his at-bats would probably be taking a hit this season.

So he wants out. A change of scenery.

We’ll see how it goes. Young is owed $48 million over the next three seasons, has never been great defensively, and finished with a pedestrian .774 OPS last season. He also turned 34 years old in October.

The Rockies are known to have some interest, though recent reports are saying they want the Rangers to eat $20 million of Young’s remaining contract. Brown hears that the Angels could be interested, but they probably won’t want to take on another bad deal. Remember, Anaheim brought in $81 million worth of Vernon Wells just a couple of weeks ago.

Young should dominate headlines for much of this week — the last week without baseball until November.

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

“We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time.”

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

“We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective,” Elias said. “It’s very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here.”

Hicks batted .216 last season.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. “A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we’re chasing, but hopefully it’s a really good fit for him.”

Mullins left a loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser – the fifth pick in the draft two years ago – is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

“Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric’s injury,” Elias said. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”

Hicks was active for the game but not in the starting lineup. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore’s left field, was in Mullins’ usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

“In this park … you really need two center fielders,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Aaron’s got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting.”