Blue Jays could be a fit for Upton

[satyr9]

They'd be asking for Gose. Is Upton > Gose ?

Right now, yes because Gose hasn't played in the Majors yet. In the future probably Gose

missed this post, Gose will never ever be close to the player Upton is. Gose has to make tremendous strides in his game to even become a Rajai Davis type player, there is zero chance of him becoming an MVP candidate like Upton, the sooner Jays fans understand that the better.

We're talking about a guy that can't crack an 800 OPS in Vegas where the breaking balls don't break and where anything hit to the outfield goes out not to mentiond the bums he's facing on an everyday basis in that **** league.

They're two different types of players, it's unfair to compare the two. Both have the potential to be game changers.

I think I'm substantially higher on Gose than Avenger is, but Upton >>> Gose even if it's apples and oranges. To start, they're 3 years apart and 3 years ago Upton put up .900 OPS in the major leagues, while Gose has yet to have a season > .800 in the minors. It's not like Upton is a slouch defensively or on the basepaths and I don't see any rational explanation for how the upticks for Gose in speed can begin to even marginally mitigate the enormous gap in hit and power potential between them. It's not like this should be a surprise to anybody either. Upton was a 1st overall, and is as close to the definition of a 5 tooler as there is. It's not like saying Upton >>> Gose denigrates Gose as a prospect anymore than saying Harper or Trout are too.

Gose is a great prospect and I like his chances to be a dynamic lead-off, but if 3 or 4 really nice prospects brings you back Upton, unless you're convinced his attitude will forever hold him back, you pull that trigger before the other side has enough time to re-think the consequences of their actions.

[Strav]

Latest:

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:

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.

[StringerBell]

Ariz in - Hech or Escobar, Headley, SP from SD (Richard or Volquez?)
Ariz out - Upton

SD in - Gose, Nicolino
SD out - Headley, Volquez ,

Tor in - Upton ,
Tor out - Gose, Hech, Nicolino

Arizona gets their major league players at SS AND 3B, plus SP for playoff push.

SD gets 2 nice prospects for their rebuild.

Toronto lands best player in the deal, a 24 year old all-star stud with cost certainty for 3 more years.
Gose is expendable with Marisnick coming on strong. Hech isn't even one of the teams top prospects, and enough though Nicolino is a nice prospect, he has the lowest ceiling of any of the lansing pitchers.

[kwamebargnani]

Probably too good for San Diego. I'd trade those three for Upton though for sure.

[StringerBell]

Yeah, it may be too nice for SD. But I think it would take something like this to get Upton. Arizona has no need for any of our OF's.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Definitely not too nice for San Diego. A quality third baseman and a serviceable starter could get a lot more on the open market than a centre field prospect who might not be able to hit big league pitching and a control-reliant pitching prospect who hasn't gotten beyond A ball. Not meaning to sh*t on Nicolino and Gose, but the reality is that the team with the best farm system in baseball isn't going to give up some valuable assets for good but non-elite prospects.

[Wo1verine]

I'd be pretty awesome if we can somehow land Upton! We have been connected to him for sometime now..

[Hamyltowne]

Definitely not too nice for San Diego. A quality third baseman and a serviceable starter could get a lot more on the open market than a centre field prospect who might not be able to hit big league pitching and a control-reliant pitching prospect who hasn't gotten beyond A ball. Not meaning to sh*t on Nicolino and Gose, but the reality is that the team with the best farm system in baseball isn't going to give up some valuable assets for good but non-elite prospects.

I agree, SD gets shafted in Stringer's scenario.

But SD does have a need for OFs. They've the best farm system, but that doesn't mean most of their prospects are superstars in waiting. Most are youngins who'll be able to play well at the big-league level. In their top 10, they've got 5 pitchers, and the rest are position players, only 1 of whom is an outfielder.

So re-group the trade to plug in some OFs for SD and this sugary trade reverie has legs.

[StringerBell]

Mods, if these trade proposals are suposed to be in the trade thread, please feel free to move.

Okay, lets try this again....

Ariz in - Hech or Escobar, Headley, Volquez or Richard
Ariz out - Upton

SD in - Gose, Syndergaard, AJ Pollock
SD out - Headley, Volquez/Richard (Richard eligible for FA in 2015; Volquez in 2014)

Tor in - Upton
Tor out - Hech/Escobar, Gose, Syndergaard

[Graham's Cracker]

The Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Indians are the teams on Upton's list, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report.

Ken Rosenthal report

[Brinbe]

That should be his no-trade list, just to clarify!

[CapeCrusader]

Yeah I was gonna say. Thought I remembered seeing Upton put the Yanks on his no trade list.

[satyr9]

That should be his no-trade list, just to clarify!

That's a bribery no trade list if ever there were one. Not sure what CLE is about there (that one might be legit. Guess he doesn't watch 30 rock), but the other ones are to get an extension out of them if a trade happens. I don't believe for one instant he would've preferred PIT, KC, BAL, TOR, etc... over those teams when he signed the deal.

[Graham's Cracker]

Yeah, sorry that was the no-trade list. And I agree that certainly looks like posturing. On the bright side, he wouldn't need to approve a deal to the Jays.

[CanadaB-Ball]

That should be his no-trade list, just to clarify!

That's a bribery no trade list if ever there were one. Not sure what CLE is about there (that one might be legit. Guess he doesn't watch 30 rock), but the other ones are to get an extension out of them if a trade happens. I don't believe for one instant he would've preferred PIT, KC, BAL, TOR, etc... over those teams when he signed the deal.

I believe that Upton has stated before that he doesn't want to play in a big market.

Still, not sure what Cleveland is doing there.

[Strav]

good article on Upton's struggles at the plate this year: http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/ ... own-not-up

[satyr9]

good article on Upton's struggles at the plate this year: http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/ ... own-not-up

Thanks strav.

I'm sure there are lots of good explanations, but to me that sounds like someone just not seeing the ball well. If he's striking out looking and he's late (not pulling) on almost everything, he's either going blind or second guessing himself so much he's not just jumping on stuff. IMO sounds like a perfect candidate for our grip and rip it strategy.

Let the negativity flow, so AA can buy him up for Snider, Deck, and some filler.

[Wo1verine]

D-BACKS’ UPTON: PART OF THE JAYS’ PATTERN?

Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos specializes in acquiring distressed assets under long-term control. Shortstop Yunel Escobar fit that description. So did center fielder Colby Rasmus.

Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton would, too.

The Jays are one of the teams interested in Upton, sources say, and they’re deep enough in prospects to pull off a blockbuster. But Anthopoulos, as always, is operating on multiple fronts, pursuing numerous players and willing to listen on all of his own.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/jame ... ine-071612

[Hamyltowne]

good article on Upton's struggles at the plate this year: http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/ ... own-not-up

Thanks strav.

I'm sure there are lots of good explanations, but to me that sounds like someone just not seeing the ball well. If he's striking out looking and he's late (not pulling) on almost everything, he's either going blind or second guessing himself so much he's not just jumping on stuff. IMO sounds like a perfect candidate for our grip and rip it strategy.

Let the negativity flow, so AA can buy him up for Snider, Deck, and some filler.

The article forgot to mention the thumb injury. He's had fluid drained from his thumb after games. When his dexterity returns to form, so will his bat.

[JMH]

Upton pulled from trading block... means were getting him! Wahooo!

http://baseball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ ... ade_block/