The sinking San Diego Padres may already be changing course after MLB’s busiest offseason bought an entirely new outfield. Justin Upton, the prized acquisition of new general manager A.J. Preller, is a free agent at year’s end and the Padres are seeing what they can get for him now before he leaves for nothing.
Jon Morosi of Fox is reporting that the Pittsburgh Pirates are interested in adding a slugger to boost their lineup.
#Pirates interested in Justin Upton, but they will prioritize an infielder if Jordy Mercer is out for extended period. Holding pattern now.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 20, 2015
Upton’s production in 2015 is impressive; he’s slashing .251/.332/.456 with 15 home runs and 49 RBI. The numbers can be deceiving though, since Upton has hit worse than .200 for two months, and hit just three home runs since the calendar flipped to June. Upton’s poor defense has also cost the Padres nearly five runs.
The bad month and a half may not scare away suitors though, since Upton’s streakiness is a well-known trait. Few hitters are more explosive when everything is clicking. Morosi also reported the Pirates would look to the infield on the trade market if Jordy Mercer is expected to miss significant playing time. If so, here are two more teams that should kick the tires on the Padres star.
New York Mets
The Mets may have the best starting pitching in baseball, but they’re not even in the front of the wildcard pack because their offense has sputtered all season. With David Wright injured, the Mets are relying on Lucas Duda as the offense’s lynchpin. They are dead last in the National League in runs per game (3.45), and would benefit greatly from a power bat like Upton’s to plop in the middle.
The Mets don’t like to spend, but renting Upton now and giving their beaten-down fans hope of a playoff push is well worth the chance. If they don’t like what they see from Upton, they can move on at season’s end.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants are one game out of the second wildcard spot right now, and can bolster their offense for the rest of the season while also keeping a potent bat out of Pittsburgh’s lineup. The Giants have been using Gregor Blanco in left field, and while his .305 batting average is nice, he offers no power, underwhelming speed, and a glove that doesn’t rate better than Upton’s.
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