Justin Upton?

[dabynsky]

So the big name out there on the trade market right now has to be Justin Upton. This is the latest from MLBTR about the situation:
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/07/justin-upton-rumors-thursday.html

Arizona GM Kevin Towers told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that if the Diamondbacks make a trade this summer, it will probably be a deal involving MLB players, not prospects. Justin Upton is now generating as much discussion as any player in baseball. Here’s the latest on Arizona’s 24-year-old right-fielder:
•Three of the four teams on Upton's limited no-trade list have changed since 2010, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. In 2010, Upton's four teams were the Athletics, Indians, Royals and Tigers.
•The Mariners are unlikely to acquire Upton since he would be a short-term addition for a team that isn't planning to contend until 2015, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
•Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas looks at why and how the Rangers could trade for Upton, though Durrett says he doesn't think Texas would deal top prospect Jurickson Profar, who is "about as close to untouchable as this organization has right now."
•Rival executives say Diamondbacks officials are willing to consider offers for Upton because they are not convinced that he is a winning player, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Rosenthal predicts the Diamondbacks will trade Upton for a package of players including a young third baseman or shortstop and Major League help.
•Some GMs are convinced the Diamondbacks will move Upton, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports. However, there probably won't be a high volume of serious suitors for Upton, Olney writes. The Pirates, Blue Jays, Rangers, Tigers, Braves, Cubs, Mariners, Indians, Mets and Reds are possible fits for Upton, Olney writes.
•A competing executive suggested the Blue Jays could engage a third team if they wanted Upton badly and didn’t match perfectly with the Diamondbacks, Piecoro reports.
•Another executive wondered why Towers will even listen on Upton, according to Piecoro. “Whenever a player like that is available, I think, ‘People who work in this game are smart. Why is he willing to trade a guy like that on a fairly reasonable contract?’” the person said.
•Towers has had very few conversations with the Pirates, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com writes. Bowden considers five possible trade partners for Arizona should they decide to deal Upton.

This leads me to my shameless self-plug about my thoughts on the topic: http://worldseriesdreaming.com/2012/07/13/a-trade-to-consider/.

 

[inactiveuser1]

Already read your WSD article, really liked it

 

[WindyCity]

So the big name out there on the trade market right now has to be Justin Upton. This is the latest from MLBTR about the situation:
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/07/justin-upton-rumors-thursday.html


This leads me to my shameless self-plug about my thoughts on the topic: http://worldseriesdreaming.com/2012/07/13/a-trade-to-consider/.

Good article and worth the read.

But good SS that hit .300 are far harder to find than OF that can hit.

Upton is great and young, but I would not trade Castro. If they want prospects or whatever we get back from Garza and Dempster that is fine. I would not trade Castro for a struggling Upton, Castro is just starting to figure it out and he could be a HOF talent if he gets it a together.

 

[dabynsky]

Good article and worth the read.

But good SS that hit .300 are far harder to find than OF that can hit.

Upton is great and young, but I would not trade Castro. If they want prospects or whatever we get back from Garza and Dempster that is fine. I would not trade Castro for a struggling Upton, Castro is just starting to figure it out and he could be a HOF talent if he gets it a together.

Players with 30+ homerun power are getting to be pretty rare as well is my counter. We really need to break ourselves of this batting average fixation. If he doesn't develop power then it will be a pretty empty batting average with his weak eye. Castro certainly has the possibility of being a special player, but Upton is pretty damn special in his own right.

 

[Uman85]

Players with 30+ homerun power are getting to be pretty rare as well is my counter. We really need to break ourselves of this batting average fixation. If he doesn't develop power then it will be a pretty empty batting average with his weak eye. Castro certainly has the possibility of being a special player, but Upton is pretty damn special in his own right.

Yes, yes and...yes. :clap:

 

[Rice Cube]

Dab makes very good points despite the fact that this trade will likely never happen

 

[Uman85]

Dab makes very good points despite the fact that this trade will likely never happen

Len said on the broadcast tonight that Arizona wants productive everyday MLB players in return for Upton. Pretty much screws the deal right there. :lol:

 

[dabynsky]

Len said on the broadcast tonight that Arizona wants productive everyday MLB players in return for Upton. Pretty much screws the deal right there. :lol:

What is Castro? Probably means that they would be interested in a major league piece to fill in the gap between Castro and Upton. I would imagine an arm would be mighty appealing.

Again really doubt the front office is willing to trade Castro plus for Upton, but I am drolling over the idea of adding that kind of bat at his age to the team.

 

[Rice Cube]

It's actually really fun to think about. Just a bit on the wild side.

 

[dabynsky]

It's actually really fun to think about. Just a bit on the wild side.

All right, lets up the ante then on this one. I know some of you wouldn't do Castro/Vitters, but as Len talked about on the broadcast that probably isn't enough for the D'Backs to bite on. For those of you that were on board with my deal, would your opinion change if it was Castro and Dempster for Upton?

Again just for fun since there is very little chance that the Cubs would be willing to do an even trade for Castro.

 

[Uman85]

All right, lets up the ante then on this one. I know some of you wouldn't do Castro/Vitters, but as Len talked about on the broadcast that probably isn't enough for the D'Backs to bite on. For those of you that were on board with my deal, would your opinion change if it was Castro and Dempster for Upton?

Again just for fun since there is very little chance that the Cubs would be willing to do an even trade for Castro.

Castro/Vitters - Yes
Castro/Dempster - Yes

 

[ZDemp34]

Upton for Castro?

[video=youtube;umDr0mPuyQc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umDr0mPuyQc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umDr0mPuyQc[/video]

 

[Rice Cube]

All right, lets up the ante then on this one. I know some of you wouldn't do Castro/Vitters, but as Len talked about on the broadcast that probably isn't enough for the D'Backs to bite on. For those of you that were on board with my deal, would your opinion change if it was Castro and Dempster for Upton?

Again just for fun since there is very little chance that the Cubs would be willing to do an even trade for Castro.

If the D'Backs aren't contending I don't think they'd take Dempster. That just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[dabynsky]

If the D'Backs aren't contending I don't think they'd take Dempster. That just doesn't make sense to me.

I think Towers still thinks they are in it. This is riffing off the idea that Len said that Towers is looking for major league talent in return for Upton and not prospects. Castro is the big piece, but getting an arm to bolster the rotation after Hudson goes down for the year would intrigue them I think.

 

[2SeamHeat]

All right, lets up the ante then on this one. I know some of you wouldn't do Castro/Vitters, but as Len talked about on the broadcast that probably isn't enough for the D'Backs to bite on. For those of you that were on board with my deal, would your opinion change if it was Castro and Dempster for Upton?

Again just for fun since there is very little chance that the Cubs would be willing to do an even trade for Castro.

Don't see the DBacks going after Dempster. However, I could see Castro and Garza for Upton and Tyler Skaggs... maybe another middling, low-level, throw-in spect as well.

The problem with this, what do you do for SS? Lake obviously can't play the position as he's making Castro look like Omar Vizquel. Barney lacks the range and arm. Valbuena is kind of needed at 3B right now, unless you recall Vitters. Perhaps adding Jackson/LaHair to the deal since we would be getting Upton might land Chris Owings? Problem there, Owings is at least 2 years away and needs heavy work on his defense.

The thing that worries me about Upton is his up and down career line so far. Yeah, he's only 24... and yeah he's under team control until 2016. But he's kind of had Soto-itis. In other words, one good year, one bad year... one good year... then one bad year. Do we want to give up a guy that's a proven .300 hitter and is showing developing power that also plays a position where such a bat isn't exactly known for.... to get a guy to fill a position where we have a guy in Soler that's projected to be very similar too? Do we create a hole... to fill a hole that we may already have bought the putty for?

 

[dabynsky]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/07/15/the-dbacks-have-told-justin-upton-they-might-trade-him/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

They’d like to get a third baseman, a shortstop and/or starting pitching in return.

 

[waldo7239117]

Matt Garza and Darwin Barney, there ya go!

The trade would have to be much bigger, tho. The Cubs would have to get more, but that shit ain't hapening.

 

[dabynsky]

Seriously waldo, if the Diamondbacks would take Garza and Darwin Barney for Upton I would drive them both personally to Arizona.

 

[waldo7239117]

Seriously waldo, if the Diamondbacks would take Garza and Darwin Barney for Upton I would drive them both personally to Arizona.

I would too, that's why I posted it but I think they would make it bigger. Ii won't happen, but I think it's fair. Outfielders are easy to come by and I think they may try it. Maybe move Valbuena to 2nd, and call-up Vitters. Trade LaHair, move DeJesus back to RF or keep him in CF, try to trade Fonzie and call-up Jackson. That would be so awesome and I would do that, but again, very unlikely.

 

[dabynsky]

You guys really need to get rid of this OF are easy to come by mentality. 30 HR power is not what it was 10 years ago. Last year only 23 players managed to hit that many. There haven't been more than thirty 30 HR hitters in a single season in the past six years. Guys with that kind of power, that play plus defense, can run like Upton, and are 24 years old on team friendly deals are really, really rare.