Justin Upton Trade Rumors: San Diego Padres Jumpstart Upton Trade Chatter With Early Game Removal
Justin Upton trade rumors were buzzing around the San Diego Padres Sunday (July 19). The Padres removed Upton from a game against the Colorado Rockies, spurring chatter that he had been traded. When a star player is involved in trade talks and gets removed from a game in the fifth inning, it’s understandable for social media is going to feel that the rumors are playing out. That wasn’t the case this time though.
Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said that Upton was taken out for precautionary reasons because he had been experiencing lower back tightness. It’s possible that he could have played through it, but the last thing the Padres want to have happen is the All-Star outfielder getting forced to miss any games. Instead, he misses a few innings in this one, and should be back in the lineup for the next Padres game.
It’s certainly also possible that the front office of the San Diego Padres was using a sly move to get Upton’s name back out there. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, there have been a lot of Justin Upton trade rumors this season. The Padres have struggled to win games and have failed to live up to offseason expectations. That could lead to several veterans getting traded, including Upton and All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel. The team might just get desperate to make sure they don’t lose the star outfielder to free agency for nothing in return.
Coming into the games on Sunday, Upton had a.252 batting average, 15 home runs, 49 home runs, 47 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases. Those are numbers that most teams around the league would love to have in the outfield. He could give a playoff-caliber team a much-needed boost down the stretch, possibly yielding a lot of value before he heads to free agency. He will turn just 28 years old in the offseason, suggesting he is about to sign a contract that will pay him more than $20 million a year.
There are going to be quite a few more stories that link the San Diego Padres to other teams before the July 31 MLB trade deadline. Most recently, the Baltimore Orioles have expressed a lot of interest in acquiring him, presumably to replace the power lost when Nelson Cruz signed with the Seattle Mariners. Fans of the Padres should expect the Justin Upton trade rumors to really take off in the next week, and the odds of him being dealt are far better than the team making the postseason this year.
[Image Source: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images]
