Will Michael Young ever appear on the Hall of Fame ballot? If he does, what are his chances of being inducted?
-- Mark E., Grand Prairie, Texas
Young will be on the ballot next year. His chances of being inducted depended on getting to 3,000 hits, but because he wanted to spend more time with his family, he retired at age 36 with 2,375 hits and a .300 career batting average.
Now, let's say Young didn't retire. Let's say he played four more years and finished strong with the help of the designated hitter. He would have needed to average 157 hits a season for four years to reach 3,000. He had at least that many in 10 of 12 full seasons. If Young did so and finished with a batting average of .300 or better, he would have become a serious candidate for induction.
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Would Young have finished that strong? Who knows? But he certainly had a strong record of staying healthy, and he hit a career high .338 with 213 hits at age 34. The main point is Young was best known statistically for his high number of hits, so getting to 3,000 was paramount for Hall of Fame consideration.
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How likely are the Rangers to give Elvis Andrus a new contract this offseason so that he can't opt out after 2018? If they can agree on a new contract, how much more than the current $15 million per year will Andrus cost?
-- John G., Denton, Texas
Those types of discussions are usually conducted in Spring Training. Andrus is represented by Scott Boras, who spends the offseason finding homes for his many free-agent clients. Come spring, Boras will certainly look for financial incentives in exchange for Andrus not opting out of his contract. Andrus is the second-highest-paid shortstop in the game behind Troy Tulowitzki.
Who are the Rangers targeting for relievers among this year's free agents?
-- Bartley C., Arlington
The reliever free-agent market has more depth than any other area, so there is a long list to choose from. Right-hander Brandon Kintzler is high on Texas' list. The Rangers tried to acquire him in a trade from the Twins a couple of years ago. He is a guy who can both close and be used as setup reliever.
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With the loss of Atlanta's international prospects due to signing rule infractions, are any of these players on Jon Daniels' radar?
-- Michael B., Amarillo, Texas
The Rangers were poring over scouting reports even before those players were officially declared free agents. The top prize is switch-hitting infielder Kevin Maitan, followed by catcher Abrahan Gutierrez and pitcher Juan Contreras. But obviously, all clubs are hoarding their international signing bonus for Shohei Ohtani. Once that sweepstakes ends, there could be a big run on former Braves prospects.