Justin Upton's no-trade list last year included the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, and Cubs, but Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers now says that the no-trade list is made up of four new teams, tweets Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. Towers said that it won't keep him from speaking with those four teams and he has even had talks with one of them already (Twitter link).
Towers also noted that the A's were on Chris Young's no-trade list but he ultimately agreed to go to Oakland last month, Piecoro tweets. Earlier today it was reported that the D'Backs were in active discussions regarding Upton and the Red Sox are expected to join the fray. The 25-year-old was hindered by hand issues in 2012 and posted a .280/.355/.430 batting line with 17 homers.
The question is not who’s on the no-trade list, it’s who has the pieces to trade for him. 25 year old veteran 5-tool guys don’t exactly grow on trees.
Yeah I doubt he’d block a trade at this point. Who wants to be where they’re not wanted?
Those type players do not grow on trees, but looking at Upton’s numbers he seems to have really good years every other year. Don’t get me wrong I’d like him on my team, but I wouldn’t want to give up the farm for him.
I’d take his bad years for that contract, with the possibility of a year where he finishes 4th for MVP.
The teams on his no trade list will be big market teams so he can ask for more money to accept a trade there
You wonder what the D-backs are asking for after a down year. I wonder if they would go for Niese, Duda, and Familia or something like that?
Niese and Wilmer Flores
If that was all they were asking for then the Mets would take that in a heart beat.
He’s coming to the Seattle Mariners!
Package either Paxton or Hultzen with Vargas and a couple decent prospects
Yeah because all the Dbacks need are pitching prospects inferior to the ones the already have right?
I can see the Mariners getting him but not for pitching prospects. Maybe Paxton as a toss in on a deal for Nick Franklin/Kyle Seager/Brad Miller but they would be the starting point. AZ needs 3B/SS help.
The Dbacks are very big on Hultzen. There’s a reason he belonged to them before SEA. But a package for Upton would have to be substantially more. It would either need to include an MLB “impact” player or be made up of 2-3 top-tier “can’t miss” prospects, one of which would have to be able to play the left side of the infield.
Danny Hultzen was drafted by the Mariners.
Hultzen was drafted by AZ first. He turned down their offer and returned to school to be drafted next by SEA.
Please, Seattle would get a shot if Felix was on the deal.
Seattle isn’t trading Felix. They have zero incentive to do so. Even if they wanted to rebuild he is the type of player you build your team around. He is staying put.
If Arizona would put one of their top pitchers like Skaggs or Corbin with Upton, I honestly think Seattle will budge on Felix.
They aren’t budging on Felix. It’s easier to find a good hitting outfielder than it is an ace of a staff.
Unfortunately, Seattle wouldn’t get him. The thing is, we got soo many prospects.. our Triple A won their series, our Double A won theirs, and a A/Rookie team won theirs. There is no reason that Arizona would get rid of Upton for more prospects. If that happens, I see Towers getting fired.
Seattle would do better going after another outfielder, and keeping Felix.
I 100% agree with you. Don’t forget, KT is listening to deals on Parra, he was our gold glove in 2011.
Please don’t refer to Gold Gloves as if they bear any significance, because, well, they don’t.
It does, he’s got a gun for an arm, doesn’t make mistakes in the outfield. The issue with Parra is he just doesn’t get playing time. He’s stuck behind Upton, Eaton, Kubel. Give him 300 AB’s, he will be hitting 300 again, like 2011.
How well did the AAAA-Dbacks do?
Good enough to control the Giants last season 🙂
Felix will go down as one of the greatest pitchers to never see the postseason.
I wouldn’t mind the Sox going after Upton. I just do not want to give up Middlebrooks, Bradley Jr, or Bogaerts to get him, and if the Red Sox have the same feeling I do and do not want to get rid of those players trading for Upton would be a lot harder.
If the Red Sox dont give up either Middlebrooks or Bogaerts, then theres no way they would acquire Upton.
Then personally, I’d pass on him.
The Red Sox would be very smart to sell high on Middlebrooks in buying low on Upton.
So you fill a void by creating another one? He is a good cost controlled corner infielder. I’d keep him over for trading Upton.
So you would then fill one void by creating another. Middlebrooks is a good young cost controlled corner infielder. I’d keep him and look elsewhere for the outfield. Just sign a stop gap until Bradley Jr, and Brentz are ready.
Yeah, without Middlebrooks, it would be very difficult for the BoSox to swing an Upton trade unless they were paert of a 3-team deal. Bogaerts as a centerpiece MIGHT get it done, but the DBacks really need a 3B or a SS more than anything else, and mostly a 3B.
I wouldn’t give up on Upton that quickly, plus this offseason there are a LOT of outfielders available, especially ones that can play Center. I’d see what he does at least till trade deadline next season, and then talk more about it.
Arizona won’t take any rookies, or prospects. We have way toooo many of them. We want impact players. Someone who will come in and dominate on the hill or at bat. Only way Upton will leave.
Yeah they seem very interested in keeping him.
If a deal with like Gallardo, uh Felix, Dickey, pitchers of that caliber (since KT mentioned he wants a veteran starter) then I can see J-Up being moved.
The point is that some established MLB talent likely would need to go to AZ.
Arizona might take a rookie/prospect if it were the right one. If the Rangers were willing to build a deal around Profar for Upton it would almost certainly happen. Profar could be plugged in immediately at SS. If he plays to potential, then they have lost nothing in moving Upton. If he struggles and is only average, they have at least still found a SS to last them 2-3 years and cleared Upton’s salasry to make another big FA move next season, or to acquire a contract at the trade deadline.
Profar would be sweet, but would Texas really move him? I don’t know if Ryan would take a risk at that yet.
I’m pretty sure that Ryan wouldn’t consider it. But, that is the sort of deal the Dbacks will be looking for from teams asking about Upton. The squeamish need not apply, high rollers only please.
The deal is cliff lee, Dom brown, Freddy galvis and Jesse biddle/Trevor may or any other prospect towers wants for Upton and Bauer. Ruben amaro is all over this. Arizona gets an ace, a slick fielding SS, top pitching prospect and Dom Brown. Done. Do it.
I think the D-Backs are in a bit of a quandary with Upton. They made it known they want to trade him, so Upton can’t be happy there, they traded his best friend adding fuel to the fire, they are demanding MLB ready impact talent, but the teams that are most likely to trade for him don’t have any of that to spare (most have young arms to trade).
If Towers doesn’t find a deal he thinks is suitable for Upton, what then? Have a guy who doesn’t give a crap on the field and in the clubhouse? (that tends to not work so well).
IMO, he HAS to trade Upton now. If he waits and Upton underperforms again, he could end up taking wayyy less than all the deals he shot down this offseason..
He should have sucked it up and taken what he was offered at the deadline. Cuz,IMO, every day he waits other execs will smell weakness, and they will refuse to budge on their now smaller offers….
Hultzen/Paxton, Ackley/Seager, Franklin/Miller, Capps/Pryor be hard for KT to say no to that if Z. gives him those guys to choose from
Something tells me the Tigers and Dbacks are lining up to make a deal for Upton. Detroit’s window is closing with Verlander and Cabrera approaching free agency and Illytch getting up there in age. Would love to see a deal involving Nick Castellanos, Jhonny Peralta, Rick Porcello, Boesch for Justin Upton and Cliff Pennington. Detroit gets a potential star for two seasons to pair with MCab, Prince, and VMart and top defensive upgrades in RF and SS. Zona gets a SS/3b veteran leader on an otherwise relatively young team otherwise, a proven pitcher that would be better suited for the NL on a better defensive team. Oh and one of the top prospects in baseball that is ready to fill their biggest position of need, 3b.