Padres, O's reportedly discussing Upton deal
San Diego informs teams it's close to trade involving OF; Baltimore surfaces as potential partner
Melvin Upton Jr. could soon be on the move. The Padres are reportedly informing teams that they're close to trading the veteran outfielder, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, who cautioned that the news "may ultimately be posturing" by San Diego.
The Orioles surfaced late Friday as a potential destination for Upton, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported that the deal is not yet close, but noted O's right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez was included in the discussions.
Neither club has confirmed the reports.
Upton could make sense for the Orioles as a defensively skilled outfielder with some power. Baltimore lost two outfielders to injury this week. Joey Rickard landed on the disabled list Friday with a right thumb ligament injury, while Hyun Soo Kim hit the DL on Tuesday -- retroactive to July 11 -- with a strained right hamstring.
The Orioles are said to be prioritizing starting rotation help in advance of the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline. They've also been linked to Reds outfielder Jay Bruce.
Upton is batting .260/.309/.448 with 16 homers this season, his second with San Diego. The 31-year-old is a career .245 hitter through 12 seasons in the big leagues with the Rays, Braves and Padres. He's under contract through 2017.
Upton isn't the only Padres player who is the subject of rumors as the Deadline approaches. San Diego pitcher Andrew Cashner is also among players many speculate could change teams before the end of the month. The Padres have already traded starting pitchers James Shields and Drew Pomeranz this season.
Chad Thornburg is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét