Diamondbacks Notes: Upton, Kubel, Ross

Just before holidays, Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM that the club has had nothing but great conversations with the Diamondbacks about outfielder Justin Upton.  However, despite talking for the bulk of the winter, the two sides have yet to hammer out a deal.  Could Upton have a new home in the New Year?  Here's more on that and other links on the Diamondbacks..

• It appears that a possible trade of Upton has become a reality again following the surprise signing of Cody Ross, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  General Manager Kevin Towers will almost certainly be entertaining offers and one person familiar with their thinking says that "someone will go.''
• Some have speculated that Jason Kubel could be the odd man out in Arizona, but one exec told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter) that he doesn't see the D'Backs getting much for him.  Kubel posted a .910 OPS at home in 2012 but had a .757 OPS elsewhere.  Advanced metrics, such as his career -12.7 UZR/150, also indicate that he plays a below-average left field.
• The Diamondbacks' offseason cannot truly be judged until we know what the club does to follow up on the Ross signing, writes Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.