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Justin Upton

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Upton, Damon, White Sox

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Sunday night linkage..

  • Confidential documents in the McCourts' divorce hearing reveal that the Dodgers may seek to spend on players at level pace while doubling ticket prices and revenue through 2018, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.  This is bad news for Dodgers fans as the uncertain financial status of the club has limited their activity this winter.
  • The Indians are keeping mum on their feelings about Edward Salcedo's reportedly impending deal with the Braves, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.  Salcedo, according to a Dominican paper, was signed by the Tribe in 2007.  The club denied this and word that the prospect lied about his age followed.
  • Todd Wellemeyer is fighting for a spot with the Giants in Spring Training, writes Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News.  Wellemeyer had a disappointing 2009 for the Cardinals, posting a 5.89 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9.
  • Even though the D-Backs find themselves with two starting-caliber catchers in Miguel Montero and Chris Snyder, GM Josh Byrnes won't try to trade the latter, writes Gilbert.  Snyder was nearly dealt for Lyle Overbay in November before the Blue Jays got cold feet.
  • Justin Upton has had discussions with the Diamondbacks regarding a contract extension, writes Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.  The 22-year-old is under contractual control for four more years.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that some Scott Boras detractors believe he sacrificed Johnny Damon for Matt Holliday.  Some rival agents and club executives assert that the super-agent declined to negotiate with the Yankees regarding Damon early on, allowing the possibility that they could pursue Holliday.  Boras scoffed at the notion when asked about it by Rosenthal.
  • Jake Peavy would have liked to see Damon join the White Sox, writes Scott Merkin of MLB.com.

D’Backs Exploring Multi-Year Deals With Upton, Reynolds

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We heard two weeks ago that Arizona was talking with slugger Mark Reynolds about a long-term contract, but today, MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reported that the Snakes were also looking at signing Justin Upton to a multi-year pact.

Upton, the first overall pick in the 2005 entry draft, hit .300./.366/.532 in 588 plate appearances in 2009.  His .899 OPS was the highest of any Diamondbacks regular, edging out Reynolds' .892 mark.  As Gilbert points out, a long-term contract for Upton would be more expensive than a similar deal for Reynolds, given Upton's success at a young age and overall high profile as a prospect coming through Arizona's system.  That said, if Upton continues to improve as he has through his first three years in the bigs, the D'Backs could be saving themselves some serious cash (and arbitration hearing headaches) by getting Upton signed now.

Both Reynolds and Upton aren't eligible for arbitration until after this season and aren't eligible for free agency until after the 2013 campaign.  But, signing one or both of the young stars to long-term deals would alleviate any fan disappointment that might arise if Brandon Webb leaves as a free agent or is dealt at mid-season. 

Gilbert notes that managing general partner Ken Kendrick doesn't want any negotiations to interfere with the regular season, so if the Snakes are going to lock their young duo up, it will have to happen before the end of spring training.

Heyman On Braves, Tejada, Helton

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Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Braves gave off the impression that Tom Glavine was merely a "famous, low-priced insurance policy" when they released him two days ago. He has more on the Braves and the rest of the majors; let's take a look:

  • John Smoltz told Heyman that he once turned down $53MM from the Yankees to sign with the Braves for $30MM.
  • The Braves are now unable to add payroll.  
  • That could make it tough for them to reacquire Mark DeRosa, who's on the block and would be a nice piece for Atlanta.
  • One executive said Justin Upton has "a lot of Ken Griffey Jr. in him." Check out Tim's Q&A with Upton to see how the former number one pick handles the hype.
  • Miguel Tejada's name has surfaced in trade talks, but most contenders see him as a third baseman and some don't like his bat anymore.
  • The Rockies are willing to discuss dealing "nearly every player" they have. Heyman says "they'd probably love to find someone" to take on Todd Helton's contract. He's owed about $50MM still, so I'd think the chances are slim.

Justin Upton Q&A

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Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton is currently not among the top 15 outfielders for the NL All-Star Game voting.  This needs to change.  He's putting up huge numbers as a 21 year-old – .322/.396/.592 in 197 plate appearances with 9 HR and 29 RBI (plus a grand slam tonight).  Click here to vote for Upton now!  You can vote up to 25 times.

Once you're done with that, how about a Q&A with Upton?  He was kind enough to answer questions for MLB Trade Rumors.

MLB Trade Rumors: How much trash-talking goes on between you and B.J.?  Who's got more skills as an outfielder?

Justin Upton: Not a lot, we are both very supportive of each other and want each other to do well. When we hang out off the field there is a lot of trash talk and a lot of times it takes place on the golf course. We will trash talk about video games or make fun of each other's clothes, but on the field we are very supportive and only want to see each other do well. As for who is the better outfielder, that is a tough one to answer since we play different positions.  But…I'll give that nod to B.J. as of today. He has made some amazing catches so far this year and has made some sick throws…but I am working hard everyday to be a better outfielder and I'm not far behind.

MLBTR: Are you starting to enjoy it out there?  I read an article from '04 where you said you did not like the outfield.

Upton: It was an adjustment at first, I mean I played shortstop all my life where you are involved in every play on defense in some way. When I was asked to move to the outfield I was skeptical but the more I played out there the more comfortable I felt and the more I learned about the ins and outs of the position and to be honest I would have played whatever position would have gotten me to the big leagues the quickest. The D'Backs had Stephen Drew at shortstop, so the outfield was the fastest way for me to get to the big leagues.  So I was all for it.

MLBTR: You'll be eligible for free agency as a 26 year-old, after the 2013 season.  People might draw an Alex Rodriguez parallel, especially with you both being No. 1 picks as well.  What are your thoughts on that comparison?  Do you think the free agent process will be enjoyable?

Upton: To be honest I don't think that far down the road. I am 21 years old and I am only in my second full season, my goal is to stay healthy and be productive this season. If I do what I know I can on the field, the rest will take care of itself, no use stressing about it now. As far as the A-Rod comparisons, I don't like to compare myself to anyone on or off the field. I can only go out there and be myself, I'll leave the comparing to the media.

MLBTR: Was Larry Reynolds an easy choice to be your adviser, since he was B.J.'s agent?  Did you have to fend off a lot of agents coming after you?

Upton: I think most people knew that Larry would be my adviser so I didn't get too many people approaching me. There were a few people that didn't know about my relationship with Reynolds Sports that did approach me but I had been close with them since I was 15 when they were working with B.J. so to me it was a no-brainer.  To have that stressful part of the process taken out of the equation it made it easier for me to just deal with playing baseball and getting drafted.

MLBTR: Your first big league at-bat was kind of a low-pressure situation…down 11-0, in San Diego against Wil Ledezma.  What was going through your head?

Upton: Low pressure for who? Haha - I was a 19 year old kid in his first Major League at-bat, for me there was a ton of pressure. That was a moment I had waited my whole life for, all the hard work and countless hours of sweat and determination all culminated with that at-bat. It was a dream come true and it was over so fast I don't even remember what I was thinking…I was probably thinking, "get a hit!"

MLBTR: Back in May of '08, Larry Reynolds told ESPN's Jayson Stark he'd worry about your contract stuff the following year.  Have there been any preliminary extension talks with the D'Backs?

Upton: I let Larry handle all that stuff, my job is to play baseball. I am not going to worry about the contract stuff, not yet at least. I love playing in Arizona, the fans are great. I love my teammates, we are a close-knit bunch and I know we are going to be competitive for a long time in the NL West. I hope I play here for a long, long time but it's too early to worry about all that stuff. If they wanted to talk long-term deal, I would certainly listen but for now I am just playing the game, having fun and looking to win ballgames.

MLBTR: Your signing bonus was a record at the time, but Stephen Strasburg might quadruple it. What are your thoughts on that?

Upton: Good for him, I hope he gets every penny he deserves. I am very happy with the signing bonus I got and I am only concerned with the D'Backs' draft and getting guys that can help our team going forward.

Stark’s Latest: Young Players, Giles, DeJesus

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Jayson Stark’s latest Rumblings and Grumblings column is chock full of information.

  • Stark rattles off Dan Uggla, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, B.J. Upton, Justin Upton, Russell Martin, Zack Greinke, Prince Fielder, Felix Hernandez, Jeff Francoeur, Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia as youngsters who do not have long-term deals in the works.  With Uggla and Greinke, the opposition seems more on the team’s side.  With Hamels and Howard neither side wants a long-term deal.  With the rest, the player is resisting.
  • The Padres’ top trading chip is probably Brian Giles, though a deal would further deplete a weak offense.
  • The A’s are willing to deal, with pitching considered the surplus.  Billy Beane might be able to snag one good prospect for Rich Harden.
  • There’s some doubt as to whether the Rockies will make Matt Holliday this year’s Mark Teixeira as we approach the deadline.
  • Teams other than the Royals are speculating that center fielder David DeJesus might be available.
  • The Marlins and Hanley Ramirez battled over a no-trade clause…and the Fish won.  He has none.

Stark’s Latest: Oswalt, Tejada, Upton, Burrell

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Check out the latest column from ESPN’s Jayson Stark.

  • Stark talked to one exec who believed the Astros’ baseball people might consider a Roy Oswalt trade, but owner Drayton McLane never would.
  • The exec also questioned whether the Astros would’ve given up a bounty of five players to acquire Miguel Tejada if they’d known the player’s true age.
  • Stark implies that the Upton brothers are eyeing big bucks and aren’t likely to sign extensions.
  • Stark’s sources believe the Phillies will offer Pat Burrell something like two years and $14MM.  He’ll probably want significantly more than that.

Upton In No Rush For New Deal

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Could the Rays have started a new trend by locking up Evan Longoria after just 24 major league plate appearances? Probably not, though we have seen teams locking up players earlier and earlier. The Rockies secured Troy Tulowitzki for the next six years, with a $15MM option for a seventh. And the D’Backs decided they want Chris Young around through at least 2013.

The Diamondbacks have another player who stands to make some decent cash before he reaches free agency: Justin Upton. The youngest player in baseball is off to a scalding start after struggling in 152 plate appearances as a 19-year-old last year. He will be eligible for free agency after the 2013 season, and will enter the 2014 season at age 26.

Upton hasn’t been approached by the Diamondbacks about an extension, but he’s not sweating it. "I want to get through my first season," Upton said. "I’m not going to rush into anything." Indeed, it might be in his best financial interest to let this play out. Or, at least, take the Alex Rodriguez path and not sign a deal that takes him past his first year of free agency.

At 26 years old, Upton will be in high demand in the 2013-2014 offseason. In fact, with Miguel Cabrera locked up through 2015, at which time he’ll be entering his age-31 season, it stands to reason that Upton could be the next $200MM player. Then again, we said the same thing about Cabrera, and things didn’t quite turn out that way.

If Upton keeps up his hot hitting throughout the season, I wouldn’t expect him to sign any deal, options or not, that takes him past 2013, try as the Diamondbacks might.

Posted by Joe Pawlikowski.

Odds and Ends: Inge, Salcedo, Corey, Nathan

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I write this odds and ends post with two less wisdom teeth than I had yesterday.  Looks like applesauce for dinner.

  • Jon Heyman says the Dodgers and Tigers haven’t talked lately, and doesn’t see L.A. taking on Brandon Inge’s $19.1MM.  Aside from the standard Giants suggestion, Heyman puts on his speculation cap and wonders whether Inge could catch for Houston.  What is J.R. Towles, chopped liver?
  • This is questionable, but hey, it’s a Friday.  Hi5 is a popular social networking site in Central America.  A reader sent me a link to this page, which may belong to future superstar kid shortstop/Boras client Edward Salcedo.  The owner of the page slapped up a big ol’ Indians logo over a month ago with the caption "my team."  I have to reiterate that I don’t know if this is really Salcedo’s page.  The Tribe said on Tuesday that Salcedo remained unsigned.
  • The Orioles are observing 34 year-old journeyman reliever Bryan Corey.
  • Joe Nathan, still chatting contract with the Twins.  Kelly Thesier noted that it was the Twins reaching out recently.  Nathan’s agent will meet with them Tuesday.
  • Jacob Jackson goes out on a limb and wonders if Justin Upton could be Oakland’s first $100MM player.
  • The new Phils-ville blog is up.

Dan Haren Rumors: Wednesday

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UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 11:20am: Joel Sherman says Stephen Drew, Mark Reynolds, and Tony Pena are also off the table in the Haren talks.

UPDATE, 12-5-07 at 8:09am: Susan Slusser adds that the A’s aren’t being unreasonable with Arizona – they haven’t asked for Justin Upton or Chris Young. Slusser also notes that Billy Beane wouldn’t sit down with the Tigers unless they’d discuss Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin.  That’s when the Tigers turned to the Marlins.  Beane downplayed the chances of trading Haren, but what else is he going to say?

FROM 12-5-07 at 12:09am:

Technically it’s Wednesday now, and some of the more rumor-filled threads were getting really long.  So I’m happy to start a set of new ones.  You can check out Tuesday’s Dan Haren thread here.

According to Jack Magruder of the East Valley Tribune, the D’Backs are willing to discuss a package of Carlos Gonzalez, Emilio Bonifacio, and Brett Anderson for Haren.  That the D’Backs could spare these three very talented youngsters without skipping a beat speaks to how deep their farm system is.  Magruder’s source says the A’s could ask for a staggering six players. 

Jose Valverde, Dustin Nippert, and/or Alberto Callaspo could be involved to give the A’s some MLB-ready talent.  From previous reports, we know that Conor Jackson and Max Scherzer will not be involved.  Ken Rosenthal had suggested last night that the A’s initial request scared the D’Backs off, but he’s since corrected that information. 

The A’s, however, want to wait for something to happen with Johan Santana before trading Haren.

Additionally, Magruder adds that the D’Backs have a touch of interest in Noah Lowry.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

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