The Reds, Indians, Giants, Braves and, somehow, the Pirates are in on Rays outfielder B.J. Upton, Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal report.
Upton is a good player, and I guess it would be sort of interesting if the player the Pirates passed on with the first overall pick in the 2002 draft (they took Bryan Bullington instead) ended up suiting up for them, but I’m not really sure what the Pirates are up to here. A lot of his value is tied up in his being a good defensive centerfielder, and the Pirates already have one of those. His hitting is unspectacular, especially in a corner. I wouldn’t mind if the Pirates acquired him, but I can’t imagine the Rays are going to give him up cheaply – that’s a smart organization.
I suppose the idea is that the Pirates could put Upton in the vast expanse in left field and take advantage of his defense that way. But I would think they could get a much better value out of a player who might come a bit more cheaply and hit a bit more.
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