The San Diego Padres acquired outfielder Justin Upton from the Atlanta Braves in the offseason and there were rumors the team might ink him to an extension before the 2015 season began. Now there's a possibility he gets traded at the deadline.
Upton's agent said the two sides would have preferred to reach an agreement on an extension before spring training, but the Padres probably wanted to wait and see how the season progressed before signing the veteran to a long-term lucrative contract. So far the team is 25-27 and could be sellers (in some capacity) at the deadline if the losing continues.
Obviously nothing is definite because July 31 is ways away, but Upton will be a free agent after the season and San Diego may consider trading him because he's their most valuable asset and there's a chance they won't be able to retain him beyond 2015.
"The Padres will be fascinating to watch at the deadline. Second base as well as shortstop is a problem, and the team holds the option of moving left fielder Justin Upton, a potential free agent who is 11th in the NL with a .913 OPS," writes FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
"Would the Pads trade their best hitter during a season in which they're striving for greater relevance? Seems unlikely, but this club remains a work in progress, as evidenced by its 25-27 record."
Joel Sherman of the New York Post also addressed such a possibility.
"The Padres are fascinating because no club did more in the offseason to transform a roster than San Diego.
"But if the Padres keep slipping further and further behind the Dodgers and Giants, do they reverse as aggressively and try to recoup the large prospect trove they expended during the winter?"
In case you were wondering who Padres' general manager A.J. Preller traded away, take a look here.
Despite the rumors, it's important to remember San Diego is not far off from taking a big leap forward. They're a newly assembled club looking to find their footing and it's not going to be a two-month process. Their offense ranks eighth in the MLB and their starting rotation ERA ranks 13th, which give the club hope for the long haul considering outfielder Wil Myers, first baseman Yonder Alonso and starter Brandon Morrow have been on the disabled list for quite some time now.
They could very well be buyers at the deadline because there are glaring needs at shortstop and in the bullpen.
However, Upton's potential departure isn't the only move being talked about. Rumors have surfaced about manager Bud Black's job security, so it's really unknown what the team's plan is. When the Padres refused to let Triple-A manager Pat Murphy join the Milwaukee Brewers coaching staff it was speculated San Diego viewed him as Black's successor. That could still be the case if things don't go as planned.
"Bud Black is a very good manager and a great personality, but no matter what they say now, at least one Padres higherup seriously considered firing Black last summer, and if the team isn't winning with its record (for them) $107 million payroll, it's hard to imagine Black will make it back for next year," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Preller was the most active general manager during the offseason, so it's hard to rule anything out as the deadline approaches. If the Pads can go on a run and catch up to the Dodgers and Giants then Preller will probably look to upgrade in the remaining areas of need. But if the losing continues he may look to sell a player such as Upton because the veteran is guaranteed to yield a nice return and there's no guarantee he'll be with the team beyond September.
If Black is dismissed before July 31, the likelihood of Upton being dealt increases because a player of his caliber probably won't want to remain with a team whose future is uncertain.
