The Braves are very much shopping Justin Upton and are requesting a higher return than they received earlier this week when they dealt their other corner outfielder, Jason Heyward.
In exchange for Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden, Atlanta received from St. Louis a pretty good starter with four years of control in Shelby Miller plus pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins.
Like Heyward, Upton can be a free agent after this season and is due $14.5 million in 2015 compared with the $8.3 million Heyward will earn. Nevertheless, the Braves think Upton has greater value in the trade market because his overall offense — particularly his power — is superior. Upton hit 29 homers and Heyward 11. And Upton brings righty power, which is in particularly short demand.
The only right-handed hitter who had more homers than Upton in the National League was Giancarlo Stanton (37), who just signed a 13-year, $325 million contract.
The Mariners tried to obtain Upton before Arizona traded him to Atlanta during the offseason before 2013. But, at that time, Seattle was on his no-trade list. The Mariners are no longer on that list, and they are deep in the kind of pitching prospects that Atlanta wants to add.
Nevertheless, the interest in Upton is described by a person familiar with the talks as significant — the Astros, Rangers and others have inquired — and an executive from another team flatly said, “Justin Upton will be moved.”
The Braves are essentially in a rebuild posture, and dealing both of their star corner outfielders only would further the sense they are trying to position themselves to be a strong team again when they move into a new ballpark in 2017. The Braves are going to try to convert defensively suspect catcher Evan Gattis to be a full-time left fielder — assuming they don’t trade him, too — and CBSsports.com has reported the Braves are in play for Yasmany Tomas, the Cuban outfielder.