DODGERS Around the MLB Thread

^ pretty formidable outfield for the braves

Braves To Acquire Justin Upton​

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [January 24 at 9:29am CST]​

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9:29am: Minor league first baseman Brandon Drury is going from Atlanta to Arizona in the deal, Rosenthal reports (on Twitter).​

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9:12am: The Braves get Upton and third baseman Chris Johnson for third baseman Martin Prado, right-hander Randall Delgado, shortstop prospect Nick Ahmed and right-handed pitching prospect Zeke Spruill, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports (on Twitter).​

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8:59am: The Braves and Diamondbacks have agreed to a trade that will send Justin Upton to Atlanta, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The deal is pending physicals for the players involved.​

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Randall Delgado would go to Arizona in the deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who first reported the teams were nearing an agreement. Delgado is not the biggest piece going to Arizona in the trade, but Julio Teheran is staying with the Braves, Rosenthal adds (on Twitter).​

The Braves now have a new-look outfield that will also feature B.J. Upton and Jason Heyward. Justin's older brother signed with Atlanta as a free agent earlier in the offseason, agreeing to a five-year, $75.2MM contract. Both Upton brothers bat right-handed and would add balance to what had previously been a lefty-heavy lineup.​

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Upton, the first overall selection of the 2005 draft, followed up a breakout 2011 season with a solid but unspectacular 2012 campaign. The 25-year-old hit 17 home runs and posted a .280/.355/.430 batting line in 628 plate appearances last year, his sixth season at the MLB level.​

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There are now three years and $38.5MM remaining on Upton's contract, including a $9.75MM salary in 2013. The contact includes a no-trade list which allows him to block trades to the Red Sox, Cubs, Blue Jays and Mariners. He exercised his no-trade rights earlier in the winter, blocking a proposed trade that would have sent him to Seattle.​

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As a consequence of the trade, Johnson and Juan Francisco project as the Braves' primary third basemen. The deal would also take Atlanta out of the running for center fielder Michael Bourn and other free agent outfielders.​

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Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks still have considerable outfield depth. Cody Ross, Jason Kubel, Gerardo Parra and Adam Eaton provide Arizona manager Kirk Gibson with various options, even without Upton, who had been the team's primary right fielder since 2008. Prado figures to play at third base in Arizona given the team's crowded outfield and the departure of Johnson.​

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Teams such as the Orioles that had interest in trading for Kubel will now have to look elsewhere for offense. Though Arizona GM Kevin Towers was willing to listen to offers on Upton and Kubel, there's no indication he'd actually trade both players.​

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Upton drew interest from multiple MLB teams this offseason, as the Diamondbacks were evidently listening to trade offers. The Rangers, one of Upton's many suitors, offered Mike Olt in a trade, but did not include right-hander Cody Buckel in their proposal, Yahoo's Jeff Passan reports (on Twitter).​

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Delgado started 17 games for the Braves in 2012 after entering the season as the 46th ranked prospect in MLB, according to Baseball America. The 22-year-old posted a 4.37 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 92 2/3 innings.​

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clearing up space to ensure cody ross gets his pt

 

hilarious
here's a better idea...
how about fining his ass for every pound over the limit or, better yet, voiding the contract altogether?
so sick of people wanting to be rewarded for doing what they're supposed to do
$600k to lose 8 pounds...
shit, i'll do that for $600

Delmon Young can earn an additional $600,000 if he loses eight pounds — and keeps them off
By David Brown | Big League Stew – 17 hours ago



The Philadelphia Phillies will weigh slugger Delmon Young on six occasions of their choice this season, the Associated Press and others have reported. If he makes the required weight each time, he'll be paid an extra $600,000 this season on top of the $750,000 for which he signed. Young weighed 238 pounds for his initial physical with the team, but he'll have to be eight pounds lighter the next time he steps on the scale.

Here are the details, as reported by Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer:​

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Each time he makes weight, Young receives $100,000. The first three times he must weigh 230 pounds or less. He must weigh 235 pounds or less for the last three weigh-ins.

Young said his opening-day weight in 2012 was 225 pounds. His conditioning, exacerbated by a bad ankle that required microfracture surgery, suffered during the season.

Young's salary can go as high as $3.5 million with various other incentives based on playing time and performance.​

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Losing eight pounds and keeping them off might sound easy enough to someone who's never struggled with their weight. And Young would seem to have a pretty good support system enabling him to accomplish such a goal, despite Philly being one of the best eating towns in the majors. But it's not like extra pounds have been the biggest thing holding him back.

As The Stew reported on Tuesday, the Phillies signed Young based on the hope that he somehow becomes the player scouts thought he would be when the (Devil) Rays made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2003. Young's shape has been but a small factor contributing to his arrested development in the major leagues. Being leaner would help. It did for Young in 2010, when he had his best season with Minnesota.

But is there a weigh-in for Young that will help him reach a goal of not swinging at pitches out of the strike zone? Or playing competent defense? Or to remind him to not say anti-semitic slurs? If the Phillies help him with these issues too then they'll have a productive ballplayer/person on their hands.​

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hard to watch that channel any day tbh

 

agreed
and to be fair some of the guys are better than others
can't stand ripken, byrnes, mitch williams, harold reynolds... (desperately trying to come up with someone i like)

 

prado's agent deserves a raise

 

Yup, road to a division title should be just us and the Giants. Gonna have to smash the rest of the NL west

 

totally agree
the old adage of beating teams we're supposed to beat