Zach Wilt: Reacting to O's decision to DFA Delmon Young

For weeks, we have speculated. But on Wednesday afternoon, the tough decision was finally made. Dan Duquette opted to designate Delmon Young for assignment and added reliever Tyler Wilson to the Orioles roster. Unlike previous seasons, the Orioles roster is filled with players who are out of options, which forced the club to part with a guy who slashed .270/.289/.339 for them this season.

Like many fans in Charm City, on October 3, 2014, I screamed so loud that I lost my voice. I could actually feel it happening, but the moment was far too exciting for me to tone it down. Down 6-4 in the bottom of the eighth against the Tigers, Young was called upon to pinch-hit for Ryan Flaherty with the bases loaded, and on the first pitch against Joakim Soria he connected with a three-run double. The clutch hit secured a 7-6 victory for the O's in Game 2 of the American League Division Series and was easily the most amazing thing I've ever seen in person at a baseball game. I've never heard a crowd yell so loudly in unison. Watching the highlight today still gives me chills.

For that one pitch alone, Young will forever have a place in O's fans' hearts. That's what makes Wednesday's decision so difficult. It's also the reason that fans typically wouldn't make great front office executives.

Versatility is the main reason being listed for Young being DFA. Steve Pearce, Chris Parmelee, David Lough, Nolan Reimold, Jimmy Paredes and Travis Snider are all out of options, but they're a bit more defensively flexible than Young. Young obviously doesn't have the speed that Lough and Reimold offer. Paredes and Snider have worked themselves into more consistent roles. Pearce and Parmelee can play multiple positions.

Does that necessarily mean that Young is the most expendable of the bunch?

Young's defense is often criticized, but his three defensive runs saved in the outfield this season are nothing to overlook. That's more than Reimold, Parmelee, Paredes and Pearce combined. He certainly exceeded my expectations in the outfield this season. A lot of that success can be attributed to Young's arm. In 2015, Young has recorded eight outfield assists, third most in the major league. No one will argue against his lack of range, however. At minus-1.0 UZR, Young ranks ahead of only Parmelee in the O's outfield this season.

But Young was never signed for his defense. He turned a minor league deal in 2014 into a $2.25 million contract in 2015 because of what he's capable of at the plate. Last season, he was 10-for-20 with a homer and five RBIs as a pinch-hitter. With men on base, he hit .339/.373/.563 in 118 plate appearances. He's a career .304 hitter with runners in scoring position who has always been effective against left-handed pitching. As a .270 hitter this season, he seems to provide more offensively than Reimold, Pearce and Lough, though advanced metrics like wOBA and wRC+ measure Pearce ahead.

Some think that Young may be on the decline at the dish. His .628 OPS is a career low, down from .779 last season and .737 over his 10-year career. Perhaps that contributed to the Orioles' decision. Personally, I wouldn't write him off quite yet.

A decade ago, I think Young remains on the roster and the O's part with a softer hitting outfielder. AL teams loved having that bat that could come off the bench and deliver in a clutch situation. Orioles fans watched it for years with Terry Crowley. When Earl Weaver needed a clutch homer, he turned to "The Crow." Over the past year and a half, I thought of Young in the same way.

In 2015, the game has changed, and you need players that can slide into multiple roles and guys with speed. Even the days of a full-time DH seem to be dwindling, as clubs are using the role to give some rest to everyday position players. I don't doubt that Young will catch on somewhere soon, and his services will certainly help an ailing offense. At least we'll always have Game 2 of the 2014 ALDS.

Good luck, Delmon. Thanks for the loudest cheers I've ever heard at Camden Yards.

Zach Wilt blogs about the Orioles at Baltimore Sports Report. Follow him on Twitter: @zach_wilt. His views appear here as part of MASNsports.com's season-long initiative of welcoming guest bloggers to our pages. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.