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UPDATE: The Philadelphia Phillies are all set to acquire Michael Young from the Rangers and are just awaiting the veteran's approval of a trade, reports Danny Knobler of CBS Sports:
It looks like if Michael Young gives his approval, he'll become the Phillies third baseman (got to believe he'll say yes).
— DKnobler (@DKnobler) December 6, 2012
Young has a full no-trade clause, so any attempt to move him requires his final approval.
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Original Post: The Philadelphia Phillies are in "advanced talks" with the Texas Rangers to acquire veteran infielder Michael Young, reports Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly:
The Phillies entered the final morning of the winter meetings Thursday with a legitimate trade possibility. Multiple baseball sources tell CSNPhilly.com that the Phils are in serious discussions with the Texas Rangers about a deal for veteran infielder Michael Young.
Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported that the two teams were in "advanced talks" about Young.
If Philadelphia is able to work out a deal for the 36-year-old infielder, he would likely take over at third base for the club, which is currently planning to field Kevin Frandsen and Freddy Galvis in some combination at the position. Before they can get to that point however, Philadelphia must work their way through two significant obstacles: Young's full no-trade clause and his $16 million salary for 2013.
Since Philadelphia is potentially offering Young a full-time job on the field -- something he hasn't had since 2010 -- the first hurdle might not be too difficult to overcome. The more likely potential sticking point is the amount of salary that the Rangers would be willing to eat in the deal. Salisbury speculates that the Rangers will have to take on at least half of the owed $16 million for a deal to happen.
