Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Trade rumors involving Justin Upton have gone from minor to interesting, to even more interesting for the Atlanta Braves. The Braves already have signed B.J. Upton to a contract for the next five years. Some dreamed of a picture-perfect outfield that would include both Uptons and Jason Heyward. It was never a really good option, however, considering the Arizona Diamondbacks wanted a great shortstop in return and the Braves weren’t about to part with theirs.
Over the weeks since the rumors first began to swirl, things have changed. The Diamondbacks already have their shortsop in Didi Gregorious, who they received in return for trading top pitching prospect Trevor Bauer. As I pointed out here in a recent article on the Juston Upton rumors, the Braves have a ton of pitching if someone should need it. Now, more than even before, the Diamondbacks want pitching. Does that mean that Justin Upton is definitely coming to Atlanta to play in a dream outfield with his brother? It’s not a guarantee, but it looks more possible every day.
Apparently, the Uptons have been discussing the possibility of Justin Upton coming to play in a Braves uniform alongside B.J. That becomes even more interesting when you consider the fact that the Diamondbacks had their Upton deal finished, and would have completed the swap if it hadn’t been nixed by Upton. Is it possible that Justin Upton wants that badly to play with his brother in Atlanta? Of course it is! Not only would it have the family dynamic, but also, he would have a much better chance at a championship over the next few years than he would have with the Seattle Mariners.
One last thing that makes this look even more possible is that news have come out that the Texas Rangers are getting out of the Upton sweepstakes. That doesn’t leave a lot of options, and of those options, the Braves have the best pitching to choose from. They might have to give up a good name or two – certainly either Randall Delgado or Julio Teheran - but, think of the outfield we would see in Atlanta for the next few years. I think the trade would be well worth it. With that outfield and Martin Prado steady at third, the Braves line-up would be substantially more potent.
Follow David here on Facebook or on Twitter @davidmillerrant
