"THERE DIDN'T seem to be any way the Phillies would get Roy Halladay. They got Roy Halladay.

There didn't seem to be any way they would get Cliff Lee. They got Cliff Lee.

There doesn't seem to be any realistic way they can get Texas Rangers star Michael Young, not with a payroll already pushed to another record high and most of their prospects close to being ready for the big leagues having have been dealt away in previous trades.

Or is there?

A major league source suggested recently that obtaining Young might not be as far-fetched as it appears at first glance if the Phillies are really serious about it.

This is not a prediction that a deal for Young is imminent. This isn't meant to write off second baseman Chase Utley, whose season is under a cloud because of patellar tendinitis in his right knee. It's just a primer on how it conceivably could be accomplished if the Phils decided to pursue it.

* Step 1: Utley hasn't played yet this spring. His prognosis has gotten progressively bleaker. If the Phillies become convinced his condition could significantly impact their chances in 2011, they might focus on Young as the best possible replacement.

* Step 2: Young, who batted .284 with 21 homers and 91 RBI for Texas last season, is unhappy because he's been asked to move to designated hitter this year to accommodate Adrian Beltre and has asked to be traded.

While the Rangers are under no obligation to honor that request, they might do it as a parting gift to a longtime good soldier, much like the Astros did when they sent Roy Oswalt to Philadelphia last June. Or a team that went to the World Series last October just might not want to take a chance on having a disgruntled player in the clubhouse.

* Step 3: Working out the money. The Phillies have some $168 million of payroll on the books. But the source suggested that their actual limit is likely the luxury tax threshold of $178 million this year.

Young makes $16 million each of the next 3 years. However, some of that is deferred. The Rangers have reportedly said they are unwilling to eat any money to make a trade happen."