Ruben Amaro: Michael Young brings 'very, very good ballplayer' to Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro only had good things to say about his latest acquisition, speaking very highly of Michael Young after landing the third baseman from the Texas Rangers.

Young has played his entire 13-year MLB career with the Rangers, setting franchise records in games, hits, runs, doubles, triples, and at-bats for a team that's made a habit of going deep in the playoffs the past few seasons. Amaro cited his track record of winning.

"Clearly, this brings a wonderful package to what we're trying to do here in Philadelphia," said Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. "One, he's a very, very good ballplayer. He has a tremendous track record. He has all the elements we're looking for.

"First of all, the make-up is extraordinary. He's the ultimate team player. He knows how to play baseball. He's a winning baseball player. He's had the opportunity to be in big games in the playoffs, and he just fits real well. The fact that he hits right-handed helps balance our lineup out a little bit, as well. I just think all the elements he brings to the table for us are very, very positive."

Young hit a ridiculous .338 and led the American League in hits just two years ago in 2011, but the 36-year-old dropped off last year and could be on the downslide for the rest of his career. Although Amaro acknowledged 2012 wasn't the best season of Young's career, he saw it more as a blip on the radar than a sign of bad things to come.

"I think [having a down year is] just part of the process of being a Major League player. You don't have a great year every year. But at the same time, even when his numbers aren't extraordinary -- and they were still pretty darn good last year, maybe better than anybody we had on our club -- the fact of the matter is, he's a professional hitter. Even when he's not having productive hits, I know he's the kind of guy who makes productive outs. So there's a lot of pluses to this guy."

Most importantly, Young provides a solid third-base option for a team that started seven different players at the hot corner in 2012.