The San Diego Padres edged one step closer to their goal of competing in the N.L. West division on Friday.
The Atlanta Braves have agreed to ship Justin Upton to San Diego and the team also has another near deal in place with the Boston Red Sox.
Kemp's Old Man Hips Nearly Torpedoed Trade
The deals come on the heels of two other major trades by the Padres that saw them add outfielders Matt Kemp from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Wil Myers from the Tampa Bay Rays. Upton should be the final piece of the Padres' completely revamped outfield heading into next season.
According to Deadspin, the Padres wanted to upgrade their outfield situation after the team sported all-time lows for scoring in 2014. San Diego spent much of the year on pace to score the fewest runs ever, although an offensive surge late in the year nudged them from "historically bad" to "league-worst."
Boston Adding Jordan Zimmermann?
Kemp, a former MVP candidate, has battled injuries over the past few years, Myers was the 2013 AL Rookie of the Year prior to his 2014 struggles. Upton has made multiple All Star teams, although he struggled in the second half of 2014.
The Padres also just added All Star catcher Derek Norris from the Oakland Athletics, and they are reportedly nearing a deal for Boston third basemen Will Middlebrooks.
Will Middlebrooks' rocky tenure in Boston is nearly over, as a trade to San Diego nears completion. News at Y Sports: https://t.co/YWdhJYh0Zi
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 19, 2014
Middlebrooks is a promising young hitter with good power, although he struggled with plate discipline in Boston. San Diego is looking to send catcher Ryan Hanigan to Boston in the deal.
All told, the Padres may have upgraded the majority of their position players without giving up any of their best pitchers, which could set them up for a stark turnaround in 2015. The team also still has outfielder Carlos Quentin, who they may elect to move for help elsewhere now that the entire outfield has been restocked.
Below, you can see Upton discuss Derek Jeter's impact on his career.
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