Upton sat out San Diego’s past two games, including Monday’s 4-2 loss at Toronto.
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Outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. is on his way to the Blue Jays, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reporting that the deal will be “likely finalized” Tuesday and involves a farmhand going the other way. In that proposed deal, Ubaldo Jimenez would have been sent to San Diego as part of a bad contract swap (the Padres would’ve saved roughly $3 million in that trade).
While it’s hard to knock a player with 12 big-league seasons, it would be fair to say Upton never quite lived up to his initial hype. The move marks another in a long line of moves for the Padres this season as they have managed to barter off a number of veterans this season.
Drafted second overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2002 as a highly touted high schooler with a rare combination of speed and power, Upton played a key role on that plucky 2008 Rays’ team that unexpectedly advanced to the World Series.
Upton would provide outfield depth for the Jays and protection in case Jose Bautista’s toe injury flares back up. An All-Star for the first time this season, he lowered his ERA from 2.87 to 2.72.
The Jays would be paying a fairly hefty salary for a non-everyday player in 2016 but Upton is a darn good player. He will earn $15.45 million this season and $16.45 million next year, but the Padres reportedly will be paying a significant amount of Upton’s remaining contract.
Toronto now holds a 1.5 game lead for the second wild card spot. For now, he can serve as a defensive replacement in one of the corner spots, while also allowing Saunders and Bautista to occasionally serve as designated hitter.
The Blue Jays acquired Upton and cash from the Padres on Tuesday in exchange for minor league right-hander Hansel Rodriguez.
“I think it was really close”, Travis said after the Blue Jays’ 7-6 win. Unlike the Baltimore Orioles, the Blue Jays weren’t asking the Padres to take anything back.
Tigers 4, Red Sox 2: Jose Iglesias hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the sixth inning to do in his former team as Detroit beat Boston. Storen, 28, was 1-3 with 3 saves and a 6.21 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 38 relief appearances with Toronto this season.
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With files from The Associated Press.
