Upton Traded To Blue Jays

The San Diego Padres have traded outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. to the Toronto Blue Jays. In return, the Padres get Class A pitcher Hansel Rodriquez. The deal was made with less than a week for the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline. Previous rumors had Upton going to the Baltimore Orioles. The change in teams will be relatively easy for Upton, who was already playing in Toronto with the Padres.

For the Blue Jays, getting Upton is a reinforcement to their outfield as they prepare for a heated pennant race against the Orioles and the Boston Red Sox. They are also looking for more pitching help in the bullpen and starting pitching.

There is uncertainty and speculation about how the newest Blue Jay will be used, according to the Toronto Sun. Throughout his career, Melvin Upton has mostly played center field, but it’s expected that he will be the fourth outfielder and will play different positions in Toronto. He has experience playing all of the outfield positions.

With Jose Bautista back in the lineup after an injury, Upton may replace Ezequiel Carrera, who had been substituting for Bautista. As he has just returned, Bautista could also get more rest as a designated hitter, meaning Upton would spend added time in right field. Michael Saunders will continue to play in left field, and Kevin Pillar is the Jays everyday center fielder.

Over his career, the 31-year-old Upton has a career.245 batting average. He belted out 28 home runs in 2012. So far this year, he has 16 homers. At the hitting friendly Rogers Centre in Toronto, his power numbers have a good chance to improve. Upton’s main assets are in defense and good speed around the bases. He has 20 stolen bases so far this year with the Padres. The Blue Jays will get a much-needed boost in speed. The power heavy team have a total of only 32 stolen bases this year. One of the downsides is that Upton strikes out often. He is currently ranked as tenth highest in strikeouts in the Majors.

Upton was drafted second overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2002. He was a promising young player during his time in Tampa. After that, Upton went to the Atlanta Braves with high expectations which were never met. After two disappointing seasons with the Braves, he was dumped to San Diego where his numbers improved significantly.

For the Padres, trading away Upton is part of their long-term rebuilding plan. The team is in second to the last place in their division and looking at next year. Rodriquez, the pitcher they acquired from Toronto, is considered a decent prospect, says CBS Sports.com. The Padres will also be paying most of Upton’s salary until the end of the 2017 season. The speedy outfielder is owed $22 million. The Blue Jays are taking on $5 million of it.

It’s likely San Diego will try to rid themselves of several other veterans before the trade deadline. Pitcher Andrew Cashner and catcher Derek Norris are said to be two other players the Padres are looking to trade away, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The move will force other changes in the Blue Jays lineup heading into August. With the arrival of Upton, first baseman Justin Smoak or Carrera may be sent down to the minors. Edwin Encarnacion could play a bigger role at the first base position, instead of DH where he mostly plays now.

The Blue Jays are expected to be playoff contenders again this year, now boosted with the help of Upton. In 2015, they won the American League East division and lost to the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship series. The Royals went on to win the World Series.

[Photo by Lenny Ignelzi/AP Photo]