The Atlanta Braves‘ offseason transformation continued Friday as they dealt All-Star outfielder Justin Upton to the San Diego Padres for a quartet of prospects.
According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the Braves will receive pitcher Max Fried, shortstop Jace Peterson, third baseman Dustin Peterson and outfielder Mallex Smith in exchange for the 27-year-old slugger:
Much of the focus in the wake of this trade will be on the Padres as they have traded for a brand new outfield this offseason, per Heyman:
With that said, it will be interesting to see how this bold move works out for the Braves. Atlanta already traded outfielder Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals in a deal for pitcher Shelby Miller, and sending Upton to San Diego will undoubtedly make 2014’s No. 29 offense even worse.
Upton is coming off one of his best seasons as he hit .270 with 29 home runs and a career-high 102 RBI. Clearly Atlanta is rolling the dice in hopes that this deal will be beneficial down the line.
Fried was the No. 7-overall pick in the 2012 MLB draft by the Padres, and while the lefty is a prized prospect, he is on the shelf after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Even so, he is the key player heading to Atlanta in this deal, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports:
Aside from the 20-year-old Fried, Jace Peterson is a 24-year-old middle infielder who played 27 games in San Diego last year and hit just .113.
Dustin Peterson is a 20-year-old third baseman who the Padres drafted in the second round in 2013. Also, Mallex Smith is a 21-year-old outfielder selected in the fifth round in 2012.
The Braves are getting several early-round selections, but they are losing a sure thing in the form of Upton.
Atlanta’s moves seem to suggest that a rebuild may be in order, which is why it desperately needs at least a couple prospects in this deal to pan out.
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