Tigers deal with Twins to acquire Young

Tigers deal with Twins to acquire Young
Outfielder had 112 RBIs in 2010 but struggling this season
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 08/15/11 3:00 PM ET

DETROIT -- The Tigers, hit by a rash of injuries during their just-completed road trip, returned home and added a bat from the other dugout Monday, acquiring outfielder Delmon Young from the Twins for Minor League left-hander Cole Nelson and a player to be named later.

Detroit is expected to announce a roster move to make room for Young later Monday -- prior to its series opener against, fittingly enough, Minnesota.

The move adds a bat to a Tigers roster that has gone without Brennan Boesch for the past four games because of a sprained right thumb, has Carlos Guillen on the disabled list with a sore wrist, and has had Victor Martinez playing but hobbled by a sprained knee for more than a week. In addition, Magglio Ordonez has struggled in August, going 6-for-39 with four RBIs.

Young was a critical piece of the Twins' run to the American League Central title last year, but he has struggled to duplicate that production in 2011. Young entered Monday batting .266 with 16 doubles, four home runs and 32 RBIs over 84 games. He has been better since the All-Star break, batting .286 with eight doubles, two home runs and 12 RBIs in 29 games. The Tigers are hoping that's a sign of Young's previous form, which could provide them with a potent right-handed bat.

Young, 25, is no stranger to the Tigers. His older brother, Dmitri, played with Detroit from 2002-06, was an All-Star in 2003, and Detroit had interest in drafting the younger Young before he went to Tampa Bay with the first overall pick in '03 -- a selection the Tigers might have had that year if not for a rainout against the Twins the previous September. Young was in the home clubhouse at Comerica Park in 2005 as part of the All-Star Futures Game.

Young is eligible for arbitration this winter and could file for free agency after next season.

Nelson was a 10th-round selection in last year's First-Year Player Draft, and he went 5-11 with a 4.87 ERA for Class A Lakeland. The 6-foot-7 southpaw out of Auburn struck out 87 batters over 105 1/3 innings, but also walked 50. He'll go to the Twins' Fort Myers affiliate in the Class A Florida State League.

It was the first trade between the two division foes since 2001, when Detroit sent then-former closer Todd Jones to Minnesota around the Trade Deadline for left-hander Mark Redman.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.