Kuzul

The trade speculation involving Justin Upton and the Yankees officially ended on Thursday.

The Arizona Diamondbacks dealt their superstar outfielder to the Atlanta Braves in a seven-team deal that sent Upton to Atlanta for Randall Delgado, Martin Prado and other prospects.

For the last three years, Upton’s name has come up several times in trade rumors involving the Yankees, but nothing had ever happened.

This past summer, Upton was again involved in trade rumors, but Yankees GM Brian Cashman never pulled the trigger.

And now, Upton is officially off the market and now not only playing for a contender but will be playing side by side with his brother and former Tampa Bay Rays center fielder B.J. Upton, who was signed as a free agent this winter.

The Yankees never made an attempt nor an offer to Arizona due to the fact that the team is trying to get under their self-imposed $189 million mark for their payroll by the 2014 season.

Did the Yankees make a mistake in not trying to trade for Upton?

Sure, the Yankees would have had to add another three years and $38.5 million for the 25-year-old, which considering his talent level, is pretty affordable.

And there’s a good chance that Upton would have cost the Bombers a small fortune in either current MLB players and/or prospects, such as Tyler Austin, Mason Williams and Slade Heathcott.

And ever since 2006, Cashman has really made a serious effort to rebuild the farm system and not trade away their young talent.

But Upton to the Yankees made so much sense.

Like I mentioned before, he is only 25 years old and is entering the prime stages of his career and would have given the Yankees the youth the older team desperately needs.

Upton could have been a fixture in right field for the next 10 years for the Yankees, and his career could have continued to thrive while playing under the bright lights of New York.

Upton could have also allowed the team to potentially trade Curtis Granderson at July’s trade deadline, while moving Brett Gardner back to center field and Ichiro Suzuki to left field.

Upton could have helped the Yankees get back to the playoffs and maybe even make a run at another championship.

But now, any dreams and wishes of having Upton in the Bronx are long gone, as he’ll be manning the outfield at Turner Field for at least the next three years, if not, even longer.

And now, unless the Yankees decide to make a franchise altering trade for someone like Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins, the team will have to continue their development of minor league outfielders like Austin, Williams and Heathcott.

Not trading for players like Upton will be seen as very unpopular by the fans, but they’re the kind of moves that should be expected going forward in the Bronx.

Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.

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No player has been mentioned in more trade rumors this offseason than Justin Upton—and with good reason.

The first overall selection in the 2005 draft out of a Virginia high school, Upton received an aggressive assignment to Low-A South Bend for his professional debut. The 18-year-old held his own in the Midwest League, posting a .757 OPS with 41 extra-base hits, 15 stolen bases and 96/52 K/BB in 113 games. Albeit impressive, his inaugural season didn’t suggest that he’d rip through the minor leagues as he did the following year.

Opening the 2007 season at High-A Visalia in the hitter-friendly California League, the 6’2”, 205-pound outfielder absolutely exploded at the plate, batting .341/.433/.540 with 13 extra-base hits and 28/19 K/BB in 32 games.

Upton’s torrid start quickly earned him a promotion to Double-A Mobile where he continued to rake as one of the younger players in the Southern League.

After batting .309/.399/.556 with 34 extra-base hits (13 home runs), 10 stolen bases and an especially impressive 51/37 K/BB in 71 games, the 19-year-old was called up to the major leagues in early August.

As expected, Upton’s bat cooled off as he was challenged by the most advanced pitching he’d ever seen. Overall, he batted .221/.283/.364 over 152 plate appearances, which is still damn impressive for a teenager.

Upton began to close the gap between his present ability and future potential the follow year, as he batted .250/.353/.463 with 15 home runs in 108 games, and, more importantly, demonstrated the ability to make adjustments at the highest level.

It wasn’t until 2009 that his career truly took flight, however, when he posted a 3.8 WAR (Baseball Reference) and batted .300/.366/.532 with 63 extra-base hits (26 home runs) and 20 stolen bases in 138 games. Upton’s breakout campaign also led to his first All-Star selection.

His best season came in 2011 when the right fielder batted .289/.369/.529 with 31 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 159 games. Beyond his selection to a second All-Star Game, Upton’s 5.7 WAR performance resulted in a fourth-place finish in the National League MVP voting.

Signed to a six-year, $50 million contract before the 2010 season, Upton, 25, is owed $38 million over the next three seasons. If he produces as he did in 2011, such a price tag could be a bargain.

Shifting the focus to the minor leagues, I ask you this, loyal Prospect Pipeline readers: Is there a prospect with the potential to be the next Justin Upton?

To identify players with a similar ceiling, I looked at those with loud, but raw, tools and at least average secondary skills. More specifically, I targeted power-speed prospects who have the potential to reach the major leagues at a young age (though not necessarily as a teenager like Upton).

Here’s a look at seven prospects who could be the next Justin Upton.

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Being a superstar does not ensure that a player will stay with one team for a long time. There are a number of other factors at play, and this could lead teams to deal talented players for huge returns.

Some teams will look to deal their stars that are closing in on free agency so that they can get something in return for them. Other stars may be dealt because they do not mesh with the current roster that they are on.

Blockbuster deals are also interesting because they can have a significant impact on the league. There should be at least a few of these deals in 2013.

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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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Justin Upton is front and center on the trading block, and there are multiple teams interested in the two-time All-Star.

Atlanta, Baltimore, San Diego, Tampa Bay and Texas have all been linked to potential Upton deals (h/t Scott Miller, CBS Sports). The Mets could also get involved again, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

Seattle was in the mix, but Upton rejected a trade with the Mariners, who are one of four teams on his no-trade list. The others are Boston, Toronto and the Chicago Cubs.

That’s unfortunate for them, as the 2011 Silver Slugger is one of the best hitters in baseball. Every team could use a hitter like Upton. But of the teams that are interested, the following three need his services the most.

New York Mets

The Mets originally found the Diamondbacks asking price to be too high, but Heyman said they would be “happy to re-engage” in talks with Arizona. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as New York’s other team had one of the worst offenses in baseball last season.

The Mets finished 25th in runs (650) and 23rd in OPS (.701). Their team batting average was just .249, and their inability to produce runs led to them to a fourth-place finish in the NL East.

Upton may be pricey, but he would also be a major upgrade over Mike Baxter. The Mets should at least continue to negotiate with Arizona.

San Diego Padres

The Padres are another NL team in desperate need of offense.  

San Diego’s lineup disappointed in 2012, finishing 23rd in runs (651), 22nd in batting average (.247) and 26th in slugging percentage (.380). With their offense sputtering, the Padres were able to win just 76 games.

They’ve already discussed trading Chase Headley to Arizona for Upton (h/t Ken Rosenthal, FOX Sports), so the Padres are interested. It would hurt to lose a quality player like Headley, but the younger Upton could be a better option for the team going forward.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays won 90 games last year, but their offense didn’t contribute as much as you’d think.

Seattle and Oakland were the only AL teams to post a worse batting average than Tampa Bay (.240), and the Rays finished 18th in runs (697) and 20th in slugging percentage (.394) among all MLB teams.

They could definitely use an upgrade over Matt Joyce, who hit just .241 in 2012. Upton, who hit .280 with 17 home runs, would immediately improve the Rays’ offense.

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A new rumor involving the Arizona Diamondbacks trading outfielder Justin Upton seems to surface daily. MLBTradeRumors.com is updating constantly with the latest potential landing spots for the sometimes brilliant and sometimes enigmatic right handed slugger.

Nick Piecoro of USA Today Sports reported that Upton used his no trade clause to block a potential deal to the Seattle Mariners. According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, he can also block deals to the improving Toronto Blue Jays, the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs.

Marc Carig of Newsday.com wrote that the New York Mets are not negotiating a deal. It’s an odd turn for a team that earlier in the winter dealt the popular Cy Young winner R. A. Dickey for prospects only to offer prospects for Upton.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN (via Twitter) the Atlanta Braves are “lying in the weeds” for a deal that would unite Justin with his brother B. J.

But the Diamondbacks should consider a new course of action: Keeping Upton.

The frustration that Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick felt with Upton (and Stephen Drew) became public during a radio interview in June of 2012 (via Matthew Pouliot of NBCSports.com). 

Calling Upton an “enigma” and criticizing his inconsistent play, Kendrick was certainly expressing the frustrations felt by Diamondbacks fans.

But he has also put the team in a position where they would not be getting top value for the first pick of the 2005 Draft. Trading him after a down season would be bad enough. Having an overcrowded outfield as the Diamondbacks currently have puts Arizona at another disadvantage for leverage.

The sense around the league that management does not want him back lowers his value even further. The idea that the Diamondbacks wanted a player out who did not fit in already was felt this year.

Pitching prospect Trevor Bauer clashed with ownership in his cameo. He did not get along with his new teammates, especially with catcher Miguel Montero (via Cleveland.com). He was shipped off to Cleveland and many writers, including Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustrated, felt that the Diamondbacks undersold Bauer.

They should not make the same mistake with Upton. Instead the team should rely on manager Kirk Gibson to get the most out him. Upton responded to Gibson in 2011 with an MVP contending season and the Diamondbacks won the West.

This year Arizona has a solid pitching staff, few holes in their lineup and ambitions to win the West again.

The 25 year old Justin Upton still has a lot to offer. Make peace with him, Diamondbacks. Both parties will be better off with a happy and productive Justin Upton. 

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The New York Mets have become the latest suitor in the Justin Upton sweepstakes, but they might not have the chips to pull off a blockbuster trade. Marc Carig of Newsday tweets that the Mets are interested in Upton, but are unlikely to give up their top prospects:

Sources say the Mets are again interested in trading for Justin Upton. But it’s a longshot that they’ll give up enough prospects for a deal.

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) January 12, 2013

The prospect of acquiring a top talent like Upton must be tempting for the Mets, who desperately need another powerful yet efficient bat. After all, only three regulars in the lineup sported an average over .270, showing how inefficient this lineup really was. Further, only four Mets knocked double-digit home runs. 

Not only did the Mets struggle to hit for power, they struggled to hit for contact as well. Upton would help in both regards.

Unfortunately, a team like the Mets has little to offer outside of prospects, and even there, the Mets are thin. The one truly interesting prospect is Zack Wheeler, who was rated the No. 35 prospect before the 2012 season. Wheeler lived up to that billing, with an ERA of 3.26 and WHIP of 1.17 with two teams in 2012.

The Mets are right in wanting to hold on to Wheeler. He has the potential to grow into an outstanding pitcher, with a powerful fastball between 95 and 97 mph and a devastating curve. When he develops a bigger repertoire, Wheeler will truly be special.

As good as Upton is, keeping a special talent like Wheeler in the organization is more important. The acquisition of Upton would help the Mets, but it would not make the club a playoff contender. This is a team that should be building for a future around guys like David Wright, Ike Davis and Wheeler. 

If the Mets do manage to acquire Upton without giving up Wheeler, the club’s front office will be worthy of major praise. Otherwise, though, the Mets should keep their best prospect, build for the future and try to turn this club into a perennial contender.

The way to do that is through a strong farm system, not blockbuster trade after blockbuster trade.

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After months of trade rumors it’s looking more and more like Justin Upton will remain on the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 25-man roster.

Recent reports indicate that Upton vetoed a trade that would have sent the outfielder to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for a lucrative multi-player swap, according to CBS Sports’ Scott Miller.

Miller’s sources indicate that Upton still may not be in Arizona for long, although the difficulty in moving him is increasing as teams fill needs through other means.

“Something is going to happen somewhere with them,” Miller’s source said of the Diamondbacks’ Upton situation. “I just don’t know where or when.”

Seattle would have given up Charlie Furbush and Stephen Pryor, two relievers and Taijuan Walker, a top pitching prospect in the M’s system, in order to add a key bat to the middle of their lineup.

Shortstop prospect Nick Franklin was also thrown into the deal to sweeten it for Arizona.

Walker, 20, has vast potential and is a valuable trade chip. He was ranked as the 20th-best prospect in the minors by Baseball America prior to the 2012 season.

That sets the bar for the type of player and package Arizona is attempting to get in exchange for its top trade chip.

Upton’s refusal to go to Seattle is understandable, though, so where else might he end up?

Let’s take a look at where he is NOT going.

ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweeted Upton’s four-team no-trade list on Thursday:

#Mariners, #bluejays, #redsox and #cubs are the 4 teams on Upton’s no-trade list. This deal was never gonna work.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) January 11, 2013

Atlanta and Texas are starting to cool on the idea of giving up big packages in order to bring Upton to town.

The Braves seem content with what they’ve got heading into spring training, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

O’Brien did note that the Braves would likely jump at the chance to unite the Upton brothers if the Diamondbacks were to lower the asking price.

Texas has reportedly dropped from the chase altogether.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Arizona offered Upton to the Rangers prior to their deal with the Mariners, but that they weren’t willing to pay the steep price to get a deal done (via Twitter):

The #dbacks offered Upton to #rangers on Thu before proposed #mariners trade but price too steep

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 11, 2013

Upton, at this point, will most likely be an Arizona Diamondback when the 2013 season kicks off. All of the young outfielder’s top suitors are turned off by the idea of taking on his large contract and sacrificing a sizeable amount of talent in the process.

A deal could still get done, but it isn’t likely at this point. Unless, of course, Arizona is willing to cave on its demands in order to ship Upton.

The Diamondbacks have been trying to move the talented outfielder for a good amount of time. They may be willing to keep waiting for the right opportunity to come along before pulling the trigger.

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As of now, the bulk of the MLB offseason activity is complete. The majority of the major free agents have signed. And if a blockbuster trade was going to take place, chances are it would have happened by now.

Five weeks remain between now and some of the most optimistic words in baseball:

“Pitchers and catchers report.”

Before then, there are some things that still need to sort themselves out. While most of the MLB offseason is over, these storylines still need some sort of resolution.

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With the clock ticking down to the beginning of Spring Training, General Manager Jack Zduriencik and the Seattle Mariners continue to search high and low for ways to improve their roster.

To recap, GM Z has made a slew of minor moves including the acquisition of Robert Andino, re-signing Hisashi Iwakuma and Oliver Perez, and bringing in veteran outfielders Raul Ibanez and Jason Bay.

To date Seattle has made only one “big” move, trading Jason Vargas to the Los Angeles Angels for 1B/DH Kendrys Morales.

With questions still remaining on how the Mariners will improve their roster, GM Z and the rest of ownership have a bevy of options still available to them.

Here’s a look at the top five ways the Mariners can improve before spring training.

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