Latest On Multi-Team Justin Upton Talks
A ridiculous number of three and four-team trade scenarios have been discussed at the Winter Meetings, most of them seemingly involving Arizona's Justin Upton winding up with the Rangers. We'll track the latest on the discussions right here:
- The Upton talks aren't dead and never have been, an involved official tells Ken Rosenthal, but it doesn't have more legs than it did two weeks ago.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels left the Winter Meetings without a deal, telling reporters including Jeff Wilson, "I would have guessed something would have happened here. And I would have been wrong. It hasn't gotten to the point where something had fallen through that I thought was going to get done."
Earlier updates:
- The Rangers, D'Backs, and Rays are still at the Winter Meetings, working on an Upton blockbuster according to Rosenthal. A friend of Rays top exec Andrew Friedman says that while Friedman has never done a three-way trade, he's determined to get one done.
- D'backs GM Kevin Towers made it clear that he seeks a shortstop he controls for more than two years, so it seems Elvis Andrus or Asdrubal Cabrera would not be sufficient, tweets Jim Bowden of SiriusXM and ESPN.
- Rosenthal has one possible outcome: Upton to the Rangers, a Rays starter to the D'Backs, and Mike Olt and other prospects to the Rays. The scenario doesn't seem to satisfy the needs of the D'Backs and Rays, but we'll see.
- There's nothing close on the Upton front, Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers told Bob Nightengale.
- Bowden adds (also via Twitter) that the Mariners' reasoning for being in these talks is to use their prospects to ensure that Upton lands with Texas, which will open the door for them to sign Josh Hamilton. The Mariners are reportedly in serious talks with Hamilton, who considers them his fallback should he not sign with Texas.
- Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio tweets that the Diamondbacks will not budge from their insistence that Andrus or Profar be included in a trade with the Rangers. As such, they're more likely to trade two young pitchers to the Indians to land Cabrera.
- The fourth team in some permutations of the blockbuster is the Mariners, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. One official in the talks sees them as the biggest roadblock, as they're unsure whether to move forward and surrender prospects. A source tells Rosenthal the player the Mariners want most in these talks is Derek Holland of the Rangers. Rosenthal says Rangers GM Jon Daniels is driving the trade, "feverishly trying to land" Upton. In the end, the FOX writer says the four-team blockbuster "appears unlikely to happen."
- D'Backs GM Kevin Towers said today, "I've had more multi-team talks this year than ever before. In every discussion it seems three or four teams are involved."
- One scenario had Upton going to the Rangers, Cabrera to the D'Backs, and Martin Perez and more to the Indians, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
- The Indians are pushing for the Diamondbacks to include Tyler Skaggs in a deal for Cabrera, tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports. However, Arizona would prefer to move Trevor Bauer.
- Although the Diamondbacks like many of the Rangers' prospects, such as Mike Olt, Leury Garcia, and Cody Buckel, they continue to want Elvis Andrus or Jurickson Profar in return for Upton, tweets Passan. At this point, it seems more likely that the D-Backs would move Upton in a multi-team scenario that nets them Cabrera rather than trading straight-up with the Rangers.
D’Backs Rumors: Barajas, Nakajima, Young Pitchers
The Diamondbacks are all over the news on Day 2 of the Winter Meetings in Nashville, with inquiries fielded on outfielders Justin Upton and Jason Kubel, plus the Eric Hinske signing. More on the club:
- The D'Backs have an offer on the table for Barajas, reports MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.
Earlier updates:
- GM Kevin Towers expects to leave Nashville with a backup catcher, according to the team's Twitter feed. He's got multiple offers out right now to free agents. Keep an eye on Rod Barajas, tweets MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.
- Hiroyuki Nakajima remains on the Diamondbacks' radar, Towers told reporters including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
- Teams are asking the D'Backs about young starters Trevor Bauer and Tyler Skaggs, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Skaggs is believed to be an Indians target in Asdrubal Cabrera trade talks.
Rosenthal On Headley, Blue Jays, Myers, Dodgers
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out that we should expect the unexpected once trade talk picks up this summer. For example, who expected Ubaldo Jimenez to be traded this time last year? Here are Rosenthal’s notes from around MLB…
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams says he’d prefer to focus on short-term goals for now and figure out whether to buy or sell closer to the July 31st trade deadline. “We’ll see where we are in July and then we’ll figure it out,” he said.
- Chase Headley is a popular trade target, Rosenthal reports. The Padres could replace Headley at third with Jedd Gyorko or move Gyorko to second if they hold onto Headley.
- The Diamondbacks explored the trade market for young catchers before signing Miguel Montero to an extension, only to find that acquiring a backstop such as Travis d’Arnaud or Austin Romine would have cost them top pitching prospect Tyler Skaggs and then some.
- Some executives wonder if the Blue Jays should make their move this summer, asking “If not now, when?” One person says the Blue Jays are monitoring Matt Garza of the Cubs.
- Carlos Lee can block trades to 14 teams, including the Dodgers, Rosenthal reports. Almost all of the teams on Lee’s no-trade list are high-revenue clubs. This provides Lee with some leverage, but doesn’t necessarily mean he’d block a deal.
- Brett Myers’ $10MM option for 2013 likely vests with between 40 and 50 games finished, Rosenthal estimates. If a team acquired the right-hander and used him as a setup man, the option wouldn’t become an issue. But teams interested in using Myers as a closer might have interest in re-working the option like the Brewers did with Francisco Rodriguez a year ago.
- The contracts for Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Roy Halladay of the Phillies include the same no-trade protection, Rosenthal reports. Each player can block deals to 21 teams per year.
- Dodgers president Stan Kasten expects his team to be “aggressive, but not reckless” in considering possible upgrades.
Quick Hits: Skaggs, Maholm, Red Sox, Lamb
On this date last year, Armando Galarraga came within one out of a perfect game before a blown call prevented him from making history. Here are Thursday’s links, including reaction to the Galarraga game:
- Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports weighed in on the anniversary of Galarraga’s near-miss.
- The Rangers' asking price of the Diamondbacks for Michael Young in Spring Training was lefty prospect Tyler Skaggs, tweets Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. At the time, Skaggs was regarded as roughly the 80th best prospect in baseball.
- Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review suggests it'd be a good idea for the Pirates to offer Paul Maholm $25MM or so on a three-year extension. Maholm is having a nice year (3.18 ERA, 70 2/3 IP, 6.1 K/9, 3.2 BB/9) but $25MM sounds excessive to me.
- Listen in as MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes joins Midwest Sports Fans on their MLB Trivia Challenge Podcast.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com explores the options for the Red Sox, who will lose Daisuke Matsuzaka to Tommy John ligament replacement surgery.
- The Royals announced that top prospect John Lamb will undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow. Baseball America ranked the lefty 18th among all MLB prospects before the season.
