Atlanta Braves‘ outfielder Justin Upton is apparently a player being shopped very aggressively this off-season as the MLB hot stove gets rolling.
The Braves already traded Jason Heyward this off-season to land starting pitcher Shelby Miller. Would they really trade outfielder Justin Upton in the same off-season? Would they actually part with another young, talented outfielder now, even if it happens in advance of the same season in which they plan to potentially use Evan Gattis as a full-time outfielder?
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To trade Upton would be to signal a new organizational direction, and it sounds like the Braves might do just that. Don’t call it rebuilding, but this would certainly be tearing things down to an extent in the interest of acquiring future value.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that the Braves are very open to trading Upton, especially given the scarcity of right-handed power that is available to teams around the league:
"The Braves are very much shopping Justin Upton and are requesting a higher return than they received earlier this week when they dealt their other corner outfielder, Jason Heyward……Like Heyward, Upton can be a free agent after this season and is due $14.5 million in 2015 compared with the $8.3 million Heyward will earn. Nevertheless, the Braves think Upton has greater value in the trade market because his overall offense — particularly his power — is superior. Upton hit 29 homers and Heyward 11. And Upton brings righty power, which is in particularly short demand."
Sherman notes that the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers are among the teams that would be potentially interested in a trade for Upton.
Justin Upton is “very available.” No, that is not the tagline to a horrible online dating profile. It is the stance of a Braves’ team that is aggressively looking to shake things up this winter.
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