Texas is in a tough spot. Young is an aging middle infielder in the twilight of his prime. At 33 years old, he will not necessarily drop off considerably, but he is at that age where a team has to start considering that possibility. With 3 years remaining on his deal, and each of those years paying him $16 million, it is easy to see why a team would think twice about acquiring him.
On top of that, Young is a popular Ranger. It would not look good if they dealt him for pennies on the dollar, especially given that he is still in his prime. It is not the type of move that a defending AL champion typically faces.
However, how many AL champions ask the de facto face of the franchise to move from the field to DH? Especially after moving him off of shortstop a few years ago to make room for a youngster with no MLB experience? Granted, that youngster is Elvis Andrus, but still, would the Yankees have moved Derek Jeter off of short if Robinson Cano had been a natural shortstop?