Padres Rumors: Five Potential Teams Interested in Melvin Upton
The San Diego Padres are surely about to make some noise on the trade front in the next week or so. The MLB trade deadline is August 1st and the Padres have plenty of players available for the right asking price.
A.J. Preller is unafraid to make moves and he has definitely proved that. His latest trade of All-Star left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz only days after he pitched in the Mid-Season Classic, shows that Preller is on the prowl. The return of Anderson Espinoza from the Sox was huge as the young right handed is deemed one of the brightest prospects in the game. He is only 18 and far from being major league ready though, but the skill set is there.
Melvin Upton Jr. has had an impressive season in a Padres uniform. He has continuously shown a rare combination of power and speed. Upton currently sits at 16 home runs and 20 stolen bases on the season in 91 games. He is an exciting to player to watch and to think he was once deemed one of the biggest busts in all of baseball.
The Padres truly turned his career around for whatever reason and the team is now poised to cash-in on the value that Upton has provided the team. You have to give A.J. Preller credit for acquiring Upton and seeing that he still had value. He does have worth and teams would love to acquire his services. Lets take a look at some possible trade partners for the Padres.
Baltimore Orioles
It was reported earlier this week by Scott Miller of Fox Sports that the Orioles and Padres were hot and heavy in trade talks involving Upton. A few days later a report leaked that the Padres and Orioles are discussing an Ubaldo Jimenez for Melvin Upton Jr. swap. Jimenz has worn out his welcome in Baltimore with a 7.38 ERA this year. In his three years in Baltimore the right handed pitcher is 23-28 with a 5.02 ERA and a 1.537 WHIP. He made 17 starts for the Orioles this season and the team is looking for an upgrade.
Upton’s value is on the rise and right off the bat you would have to favor Upton in a straight up deal. The Padres would save around $3-4 million in a straight up deal and you could argue that the Padres need starting pitchers at the moment more that outfielders. Hunter Renfroe, Manuel Margot and Alex Dickerson could easily slide into a starting role on the team. The Padres are surely holding out for a prospect or two in the deal. We will see where this heads. There were even reports the Orioles asked about Andrew Cashner as well. It was also reported the Padres are asking about 22-year-old pitcher Tanner Scott. He is a fireball throwing lefty who has a wild streak to him. Though he can throw triple digits with his fastball, he has always lacked control. Perhaps Darren Balsley can work his magic on him and Ubaldo.
Cleveland Indians
The Indians are playing extremely well right now and could definitely use Upton in their lineup. Right now the team has Tyler Naquin, Marlon Byrd, Rajai Davis, Lonnie Chisenhall and Jose Ramirez playing in the outfield. Michael Brantley the teams best hitter had shoulder surgery in the offseason and came back too early from it. He played in 11 games early this season, but clearly was not right. He had another surgery to remove some scar tissue on his shoulder and is targeting an August return. He is no guarantee to return at full strength and that makes an Upton deal even more of a possibility. Melvin Upton could easily take over as the teams everyday center fielder. The Indians are interested, but what do they have to offer?
Players like Bobby Bradley, Brady Aiken, Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier are off hands clearly. Those are the Indians top four prospects and it will take far more than Upton to land them. Yandy Diaz makes sense for the Padres as he is a third baseman who is hitting really well in Triple-A. The 24-year-old right handed hitter is hitting .336 with five homers and 28 RBI in 62 games. He makes a lot of contact and has an above average approach at the plate. He does lack power and it is not clear if he will be anything more than a utility player. Shawn Morimando also makes sense for the Padres. He is a Triple-A pitcher who is 11-4 in 19 starts this year for the Columbus Clippers. The lefty has a 3.22 ERA and 88 K’s in 111 innings pitched. He owns three above average pitches (fastball, changeup, slider) and at the age of 23 is a decent prospect despite some control issues.
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James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.