The Braves' acquisition of Justin Upton is the story of the day from the NL East, and the Mets also made news by agreeing to sign Shaun Marcum. Here are some other notes from around the division…
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro said he spoke to Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers about Upton but didn't make any progress towards a trade, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News reports. "We just didn't really see a fit," Amaro said. "We communicated a few times with K.T. Clearly, what he was looking for and what we were willing to give were a little different."
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo discussed some of the building blocks behind his team's rise to success with Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, including investing in the draft and having the flexibility to sign veterans to short-term contracts. Rizzo anticipates that the Nats won't have any problems affording some of their key young players as they become more expensive.
- Rizzo also told reporters (including MLB.com's Bill Ladson) that the Nationals were open to multiyear contracts with Jordan Zimmermann and Ian Desmond, as was reported earlier this week. Rizzo left the door open to potentially acquire another starting pitcher but said that he's happy with his rotation as it currently stands.
- The Marlins have made a minor league contract offer to Pat White, the former Miami Dolphins quarterback told Orlando Alzugaray of 640 Sports (passed on by Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel). White was originally picked in the fourth round of the 2004 amateur draft by the Angels and, after his NFL career ended, he signed a minor league deal with the Royals in 2010.
