FCP on OS: Trading for Justin Upton
Despite a down power season, Upton is still a potential superstar at age 25.
Since Kevin Towers took over the General Manager position for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010 it seems like an annual winter tradition of having Justin Upton in trade rumors. Towers has always been a GM who floats names around just to gauge interest and value. It is a common practice among most GM’s, but Towers was seeing the value of a player who was just 22 years old and already considered a cornerstone of the team. Ultimately, Towers would hold onto his young right fielder and was rewarded with the best season of Upton’s young career. At age 23, Upton posted a .289/.369/.529 line with 39 doubles, 5 triples, 31 home runs, and 21 stolen bases.
The young outfielder bounced back from a rough, injury plagued 2010 to finish fourth in the MVP voting and lead the surprising Diamondbacks to an equally surprising division title. It seemed that the Diamondbacks were set. They were a team on the rise with a good core led by one of the most promising young hitters in the league. Since Upton came into the league as a 19 year old in 2007, everyone has waited for the breakout. 2011 looked like it would be that breakout.
Category: FCP on OS
