Vernon Wells reported to the Los Angeles Angels training camp complex in Tempe, AZ for the very first time on Friday, and promptly ripped the Texas Rangers for what Wells considers a very improper way of handling Michael Young’s request for a trade.
Wells, who himself was traded last month from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Angels for Mike Napoli and Juan Rivera, broke into baseball with Young when both were drafted by the Blue Jays in 1997. The two played together in the minors for three seasons before Young was traded to the Rangers, becoming very close friends during that time.
Wells immediately let reporters know that he was bothered by the Rangers’ very public negotiating stance regarding Michael Young and his request to be traded.
“It’s been handled poorly on their end, I’ll say that,” Wells said. “I’ve heard about everything. It’s not just this off-season. It started a couple years ago.”
During his career with the Rangers, Young has endured three position changes, going from second to short to third, and now to designated hitter. Following the Rangers’ deals to acquire free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre and catcher/designated hitter Mike Napoli from the Blue Jays, Young went ballistic after the Rangers revealed publicly that Young had demanded a trade.
Wells compared his dealings with the Blue Jays to the way that the Rangers have handled themselves regarding Michael Young.
“I dealt with it in a completely different way. I dealt with it in house, which was the right way to do things,” Wells said. “He’s having to deal with it, unfortunately publicly. It creates all kinds of problems.
“It just gives me a greater respect for the way Alex (Anthopoulous, Blue Jays GM) handled this trade and the way Tony (Reagins, Angels GM) handled this trade. They kept it in-house. Even if it (a trade) didn’t happen, no one would have heard about it.”
Young has indicated that there are only eight teams in which he will agree to a trade, and along with the $48 million left on his multi-year contract, has made it difficult for the Rangers to acquiesce to his demands.
The Angels are one of the teams that Young has agreed to be traded to, however with the Angels’ payroll approaching $140 million in 2011, any deal seems unlikely.
However that does not stop Wells from wishing for a reunion with his close friend Michael Young.
“I’d love to have him,” Wells said.
There have been no discussions recently regarding any possible deals for Young.
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