Friday, November 19, 2010

No Longer on Board: The Upton Edition



Yes, He is a great ball player.

Yes, He was taken first overall in 2005.

Yes, he fits the mold of players that Alex Anthopoulos loves.

Yes, He might make next year's team better.

All that said, I am no longer on the bandwagon to go out and get Justin Upton.

Why? you may ask. Because to my eye (which is totally unqualified to make these statements) any trade to acquire Upton is more than likely going to have to include Travis Snider. Unless the trade was straight up, I am NOT okay with that.

Snider has only 3 less career home runs than Upton, in over 300 less ABs. He plays LF in an above-average way, and will be the anchor of the heart of this lineup for many years to come. Upton has great on-base skills, and would be an ideal 3-hitter, but like "Chicks," I dig the long ball.

I could be brought back on-board with this, but only if I knew in my heart that Travis Snider would not be involved in the trade.


As a second note: I actually don't beilieve that this is going to happen. Any trade that Alex Anthopoulos has ever made, save the Halladay trade, has come completely out of the blue. The fact that there has been so much media coverage of this rumour, leads me to believe that the Jays aren't going to make this deal. Call it a hunch.

8 comments:

  1. Conversely, if you can do this deal without snider i think you have to.

    snider&upton in the middle of the lineup for the next 4 or 5 years is very appealing.

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  2. That's basically what I was trying to say with the second last paragraph. I'd be willing to part with 2 or 3 pitchers, and some prospects (D'arnaud comes to mind: He's behind Arencibia, Perez is catching him, and he would be ready when Miguel Montero's contract is up)

    I just can't say enough how much they can not include Snider in this deal. (If it happens at all)

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  3. I agree with you on this. I don't see the point of trading one super -stud on the cusp of breaking out, plus 2 or 3 other quality players, for another super-stud on the cusp of breaking out. The only way this trade happens is if AA can put snider and upton next to one another for five years (cue girly hand-waving and squealing from this corner).

    However, the deal would work if Towers would accept Gose, Drabek and Lind plus two of Arencibia, Stewart, Cecil, Davis or Rzepcsinski. Thats a deal that he can say he "won", but is a step forward for TO.

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  4. I think Lind is probably expendable for Toronto, but I'm not sure that he would have a lot of trade value at this point. Also, if we trade Gose, Drabek and Lind, and 2 more of that group (Especially if Arz picks Cecil and Rzepcziski) then we would have next to nothing left for next years' team. That's likely a huge overpay...

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  5. Blue Jays Receive
    Upton

    Diamond Baks Receive
    Drabek/ Stewart
    Marcum
    Thames
    D'arnaud
    Lind

    That leaves the Jays with a rotation of
    Morrow
    Romero
    Cecil
    R-Zep
    Stewart/ Drabek

    And the Lineup of
    1 Davis CF/LF
    2 Escobar SS
    3 Upton RF
    4 Bautista 3B/RF
    5 Snider LF
    6 Wells DH/CF/RF
    7 HIll 2B/3B
    8 Arencibia C/1B/DH
    9 Lubanski 1B/DH

    Would be an alright deal for Upton? or would Arizona want more?

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  6. You guys are crazy with the 5 for 1 proposal!!!!

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  7. Well that's apparently what Towers is looking for, so i'd call it being realistic. Your right though, it would be nice to maybe trim a name off the list of players going to Arizona

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