New York Mets righthanded pitcher Chris Young will have shoulder surgery, which will sideline Young for the rest of the 2011 season.
Young, of course, is a former Texas Ranger, acquired by John Hart prior to the 2004 season, along with Josh McKinley, in exchange for Einar "Hair on Fire" Diaz and minor league righthander Justin Echols.*
* I didn't like this trade because I thought Echols had some game.
Young was controversially dealt, you will recall, to the San Diego Padres before the 2006 season, in a move that was justified in part by the belief that he would not be able to hold up physically.
That concern ultimately has proved to be valid. Young's innings pitched, by year, since the trade:
2006 -- 179 1/3
2007 -- 173
2008 -- 102 1/3
2009 -- 76
2010 -- 20
2011 -- 24
Young had two very solid seasons in the Padre rotation, but since then, has had his career completely de-railed by injuries.
The problem with patting the Rangers on the back too much about this, of course, is that 1) Young was very good for two seasons after he was dealt, and 2) he was dealt for Adam Eaton, who did an even worse job of staying healthy and productive than Young after the deal.
And of course, there's that whole "giving away Adrian Gonzalez" aspect of the trade.
Anyway...bad news for Young, a Highland Park native and a very popular player when he was with the Rangers. Given his history and this surgery, his career could well be over.