The San Diego Padres made one of the splashiest trades of the 2014 offseason when they shipped catcher Yasmani Grandal as a principle piece to the Los Angeles Dodgers for slugging outfielder Matt Kemp, but rumor has it they aren't done wheeling and dealing.
According to MLB.com's Mark Bowman the Padres are still interested in adding power to their lineup, and are talking with the Atlanta Braves about outfielder Justin Upton.
The #Padres remain one of the clubs pursuing J-Up. I wouldn't be shocked if J-Up and Kemp are together in San Diego next year.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 12, 2014
San Diego has several highly thought of outfield and pitching prospects, as well as a standout minor league catcher in Austin Hedges, but Upton's price tag, plus his looming free agency may sink his ability to attract top talent. Upton is in the final year of a six-year deal and is owed $14.5 million in 2015.
Upton slashed .270/.342/.491 for the Braves last season while slugging 29 home runs. Pairing him with Kemp, who hit 25 bombs last season, would be a major infusion of power to a team counting on a bounce back campaign from infielder Jedd Gyorko.
If that trio can stay healthy, the Padres may have stealthily built one of MLB's top power-hitting 3-4-5 combinations in one offseason.
Atlanta is reportedly looking for young arms to stock up in their system, and the Padres have several players of that ilk to offer, including Matt Wisler, Burch Smith and Casey Kelly.
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