The trade, first reported by Fox Sports, has yet to be confirmed by the Blue Jays, which is in the thick of the playoff hunt in the American League East.
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Upton made his debut with the Rays in 2004 and played with his original franchise through the 2012 season. Upton is batting. 256 with 16 home runs, 45 RBIs and was leading the team with 20 stolen bases. The Blue Jays would love to fit him in along with Michael Saunders, Jose Bautista, Kevin Pillar and Ezequiel Carrera.
“(Melvin) was the name that was given to me as a kid”, Upton told reporters previous year. Padres starter Andrew Cashner has been linked to Toronto too and is set to take the mound in the ballpark he could be calling home soon.
Upton, 31, has enjoyed a nice bounce-back season in San Diego, hitting.
San Diego Padres’ Melvin Upton Jr., second from left, celebrates his two-run home run with Wil Myers, left, during the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, July 8, 2016, in Los Angeles.
Upton would become the fourth prominent player traded away this season by the rebuilding Padres, who also have parted with James Shields, Drew Pomeranz and Fernando Rodney. Upton is making $15.45M this season and has $16.45M owed to him in 2017 to wrap up a five-year contract.
Upton has rejuvenated his career after struggling after signing a big contract with the Atlanta Braves. He just returned from the disabled list on Monday. The Padres are also expected to cover a significant portion of Upton’s remaining salary. Upton was traded by the Padres on Tuesday when they were already in Toronto, but joining his new team was much more complicated than walking across the field.
Rodriguez, just 19, has been in the Blue Jays organization for three seasons.
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Meanwhile, Rodriguez, who was rated as the Blue Jays’ 18th-best prospect according to MLB.com, had a 3.06 ERA with 26 walks and 11 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings with rookie-level Bluefield this season.
