The struggle between players and management has gone on since the beginning of the sports world. Each side wants to have leverage when the inevitable split occurs. The “no-trade clause” is one of the biggest assets a baseball player can have, and Justin Upton just used his to really affect the Arizona Diamondbacks.
When a contract is signed between team and player, it is supposed to bind them together for the duration of the contract. Unless of course, the player gets traded. The team generally holds that leverage, because they can change a player’s life by exiling them to a rebuilding team or a franchise with no intentions of using the player how they want to be used.
The Seattle Mariners are a rebuilding franchise in a wonderful city. However, they were also one of the four teams on Upton’s “no-trade list.” That means he holds veto power over any trade to that franchise. Why he’d want to avoid Seattle at this point is irrelevant, but he does.
After the Arizona Diamondbacks and Mariners agreed to a trade that would have sent a multitude of young talent to the D’Backs, Upton invoked his no-trade clause and nixed the deal.
This puts Upton in a terrible place. He’s already been the recipient of many criticisms from management and fans in Arizona. While it is his right to veto this trade, it also represents him standing in the way of progress.
Upton is like the lone homeowner who won’t sell so that 10 other homes can be built. He’s stubbornly using his clout (which he earned) to create a situation he feels is better for himself and his family. What he’s going to end up doing is hurting the franchise.
Now that Upton has done this, other franchises know what he’s capable of. Now, he becomes less desirable. Who wants a player that is going to do that? If a franchise had 25 men who all acted this way, they’d never get anything done.
From Upton’s standpoint, he’s just using the terms that the team agreed to at one point. He isn’t against any rules. He shouldn’t make a decision that would be best for the franchise, he needs to make one that is best for him. Yes, he makes more money than he’s worth. However, would anybody give money back in his spot? Of course not.
If things continue to be ugly between the Diamondbacks and Upton, the figurative heat will fall squarely on Upton’s shoulders. The Diamondbacks are trying to better their situation by trading a player that is owed $38.5 million over the next three years.
Upton’s contract is an albatross at this point and he hasn’t come close to living up to it. He’s a good player, but the Diamondbacks would rather spread that money out to those providing more production on and off the field.
No-trade clauses are the worst. Nobody comes out looking good. The Diamondbacks had a great deal on their hands and could have bolstered their farm system. Instead, they’re stuck in this marriage that neither side wants.
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