The Rays created some buzz last night when they pulled B.J. Upton from their game while top prospect Desmond Jennings was a late scratch in the minors. Jennings is coming up to the big leagues, but not because Upton was traded; Reid Brignac was sent back down. The Braves and Nationals are among the teams reportedly interested in Upton, so we'll keep track of any rumors involving Tampa's center fielder right here throughout the day. The latest will be up top…
- An Upton trade is "not imminent," tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. The Rays are waiting to "assess [their] viability" in the AL East race and will wait until close to the trade deadline before deciding if they'll move Upton. Passan notes Upton could well end up remaining in Tampa Bay after all.
- In the FOX Saturday pre-game show, Rosenthal said of Upton: "[He] will be traded. You can trust me on that."
- In his latest Full Count Video, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Indians have joined the Upton fray. Rosenthal suggests teams would prefer him to other outfielders such as Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham due to his glovework, baserunning ability, and team control through 2012.
- ESPN's Buster Olney says there is growing interest in Upton, with several more teams calling (Twitter link). He speculates that clubs could be comparing the price for Upton to that of Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence.
