Justin Upton Likely To Begin 2011 Season With Diamondbacks

While Justin Upton trade rumors dominated the internet for a good long while, they’ve recently lost a lot of steam, and Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers has said that he doesn’t see Upton getting dealt.

Earlier Monday, on the first day of the MLB Winter Meetings in Florida, the Diamondbacks were able to trade third baseman Mark Reynolds to the Orioles in exchange for two young relievers. Reynolds was due to earn $5 million in 2011 and $7.5 million in 2012, and so sending him away will save the Diamondbacks a good amount of money.

When Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers said that he was listening to offers for young stud Justin Upton, it sent the baseball world into a tizzy, as teams tried to scrape together reasonable packages they could offer in exchange for a young star under a long-term contract. However, nothing has materialized as of yet, and according to Jon Heyman, the belief now is that there’s less than a 50% chance that Upton ends up getting traded.

With the Winter Meetings beginning next Monday, Towers and the organization expect one final push, and they intend to know by the conclusion of the meetings on Thursday whether Upton will begin the 2011 season in Arizona. The Winter Meetings are where general managers get a lot of face time, and it’s by far the most convenient opportunity to discuss and possibly swing a deal of this magnitude.

A few days ago, it was reported that the Seattle Mariners were showing interest in outfielder Justin Upton. Shortly thereafter, it was noted that the Mariners are actually on Upton’s limited no-trade list. However, in an interesting twist, the agency that represents Upton has gone on record as pointing out that this isn’t true - that the Mariners aren’t on the list after all.

Being included on a no-trade list isn’t the end all or be all of anything, as no-trade clauses can be waived by the player. What makes this interesting is the reasoning behind the announcement by Reynolds Sports. There has been broad speculation that the agency made this announcement for a reason, as agencies don’t usually go out of their way to address rumors regarding their clients.

The Justin Upton trade rumors have been swirling for a little while, now, with as many as 15 teams checking in, from the Red Sox to the Blue Jays to the Mariners. One of the obstacles in anything getting done is the sky-high price the Diamondbacks have (justifiably) placed on the young outfielder. One of the other obstacles? Upton’s limited no-trade list. The list names four teams, and one of them is none other than those same Seattle Mariners.

The others, according to Ken Rosenthal, are the A’s, the Tigers, and the Royals. Previous reports included the Indians instead of the Mariners, but that is evidently incorrect.

The Diamondbacks say they’re confident something could get worked out. A major obstacle, though, is the asking price. Rosenthal says Towers wants four prospects, presumably close to being Major League-ready. And Towers himself has said that he wants to win any trade that gets made, and that he’s looking to sell Upton to someone who would overpay. Upton will not be had cheaply, which will ultimately drive many teams away.

But there’s a reason his price is so high. Upton just turned 23 in August, he has a career .824 OPS, he’s a good athlete with all the tools in the world, and he’s signed through 2015 for just $49.5 million. He’s an elite-level talent signed to a team-friendly contract, which makes him one of the most valuable assets in the game. The Diamondbacks are treating him as such, and rightly so.