Jan
4
2013

Plenty Of Buzz Still Swirling Around For Stanton, Ethier, Upton

giancarlo stantonThere is still plenty of buzz surrounding trade rumors for Giancarlo Stanton, Justin Upton and Andre Ethier.

All three are not being actively shopped (much like R.A. Dickey), but the phone lines are ringing, teams are calling in, and there is active dialog going on. Something could eventually happen with all three marquee outfielders if things break right as they did for the Mets.

The Braves, Yankees, Rangers and Mariners are all linked to Justin Upton according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Atlanta has been very engaged on Upton since the season ended.

justin-uptonThe Mariners are highly motivated to add any of the three and have check in with each team. They are determined to add a young power hitter to their outfielder. The Diamondbacks have viewed the Mariners as a possible trade partner for Upton, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney. However, the Mariners are on Upton’s no-trade list and any deal would have to be approved by him.

Officials around the league are convinced that Upton will be traded rather than Jason Kubel, according to Olney.

Stanton of course would be the prized catch here. Hal Bodley of MLB.com says the sooner the Marlins trade Stanton, the better. He says that Stanton won’t make the difference between winning and losing as the Fish rebuild and that he would net the Marlins a considerable package of prospects that could contribute when the Marlins are ready to contend again.

The Seattle Mariners have called the Los Angeles Dodgers repeatedly about Andre Ethier, and while the Dodgers’ intention is to open the season with him as their right fielder, they have told other teams all winter that they’re always willing to listen to offers.

The Mets have not been linked to any of these outfielders, and yesterday a source told Adam Rubin the Mets are likely not adding an MLB outfielder via free agency this offseason.

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About the Author: Rob Johnson

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  • Just read the last paragraph.

  • LOL remember those folks who said the Uptons were brothers with attitude…not good enough for the pure and pristine NY clubhouse…

    i would LMAO if the mid-market Atlanta Braves not only got BJ Upton but also traded for his brother Justin….

    An OF of Justin Upton, BJ Upton, Jason Heyward

    In deep south Atlanta they are embraced…

    In northern NYC…they are seen as clubhouse cancers….

    Ironic isnt it ?

    • Have you ever watched BJ play? Yes he would be heads and tails better than anything we got, but he would become a pariah real quick based on his play and attitude. He plays when he wants and goes through the motions very poorly when he doesn’t. The NY fan base would be all over that especially with the dollars he is making.

      • Possible but isn’t it also possible that having those fans there instead of the 18 people at TB games that he would have been motivated or that his friendship with Wright could have made a difference?

        • Yea, I’m sure the 100 people in Citi will get him all fired up LOL.

          You can’t change that kind of attitude. I have seen so many balls hit over his head because he sits there and just looks, or him being lazy running down the line. This is on a team where he was going into the playoffs.

          • As a coach, I disagree. Players do mature and players do change based on their surroundings and players on their teams.

            Agree to disagree because it don’t matter anyway :)

            • There is a big difference between changing the attitude of HS kids and a 30 year old man. I’m sorry if he couldn’t get juiced with the players around him and Maddon running that team, I don’t know what else he needed.

              Maybe if they put up a board and every time and ran full speed to first he would get a sticker.

            • I agree players can mature but taking them out of 2 small markets with potential immaturity issues and putting them in the largest market to fix those problems is a recipe for disaster.

              Honestly asking a 28 year old BJ Upton to suddenly mature in NY is a lost cause to me. If you’re not mature enough to be a pro by 28/29 you’re not gonna change.

              Maybe hope for Justin because he seems more level headed, he just needs to learn how to handle a tougher media better.

              • I can see Justin just needing a change of scenery. ARI should of had better years than they did, and I am sure he is just worn out from going through another turn-over.

          • I’ve seen hundreds of outfielders do the same thing Upton does…u get a few hundred balls hit your way, for 8 years….and the media only focuses on a handful of times you didnt do a Lenny Dykstra impression …and that erases all your hard work? really?

            I remember last year David was on 1B and Ike hit a double in the corner that Wright didnt exactly run 110% on…Keith ( shockingly ) called him out for it, it was quickly forgotten and brushed over…

            lets just say the media focuses on what they want to focus on, the sensationalistic NY media might give certain guys a pass ( Bay/Wright ) and not others…the fact that 99% of the media in NY are all the same color, and many are alot older, leads me to believe that its not a coincidence that certain guys are villianized quicker than others, which then affects how the sheep ( aka fans ) perceive these players.

            if a team and manager that values hard work like Atlanta felt comfortable not only picking up Upton but letting go of a younger and faster and better defender in Bourn to do it, the rumors of Upton being a lazy guy with attitude problems may be slightly exaggerated.

            • You do bring up a point after your drivel. If a team like Atlanta felt comfortable giving him that deal, that’s a team that doesn’t misjudge often.

            • I’m confused

              “if a team and manager that values hard work like Atlanta felt comfortable not only picking up Upton but letting go of a younger and faster and better defender in Bourn to do it”

              Are you suggesting Bourn is younger than BJ Upton?

              • my bad, i forgot upton debuted at age 19…

                fact is…bourn is a better defender…hits for decent average, is a leadoff hitter…finished in the top 20 of MVP votes…played in Phi-Hou-ATL…never once heard a peep about a problem with him…ever….

                BJ Upton becomes the media anti-christ after he gets into it with Longoria…

                I just think when the media creates a perception..they latch onto it and create these good/evil stories they use to sell stories…

        • I guess but then aren’t you also assuming that Upton didn’t have a relationship with anybody else on the Rays that could motivate him? I like they the Upton’s and Wright’s were friends but that doesn’t mean Upton can’t have a relationship with other players – and if it does then he is a problem.

          My issue with BJ Upton was his repeated lackluster play in the field and going after Longoria in the dugout over getting called out for being lazy and my issue with Justin is he is not able to handle boo’s in the mighty Arizona market without saying he doesn’t care what fans think.

          Assuming Wright can change that just tells me they aren’t professionals on their own. I don’t need or want Wright to have to babysit somebody. It’s not the same thing but I am sure Milton Bradley had players that influenced him positively – doesn’t mean I want that combo on my team.

          And please – stop with the rac ist stuff with Justin. I am sure there are jerks everywhere but they were booing him after an AB and then he said what he said. It wasn’t after 1 incident of being called ignorant names. There’s no excuse for that but it wasn’t the only thing going on.

          I think both Upton’s have growing up to do, and coming to NY to do that usually ends in a disaster and it’s something I don’t want to see.

          I will say this though, I’d rather take a chance on Justin than BJ and if they acquired Justin I’d be happy assuming they don’t give away the farm

          • >>>My issue with BJ Upton was his repeated lackluster play in the field

            define repeated

            if 300 balls are hit towards BJ…and in a 162 game season he didnt run after 3 with enough effort to satisfy you….

            is that repeated?

            >>>and going after Longoria in the dugout over getting called out for being lazy

            and they managed to play the entire 2010 season, 2011 season and 2012 season just fine…

            >>>>and my issue with Justin is he is not able to handle boo’s in the mighty Arizona market without saying he doesn’t care what fans think.

            so basically…if he complains that the fans booing him affects his work, he is wrong, if he says he doesnt care what they think , he is also wrong….

            I think both players are better than anyone on this roster, but in NYC…with the rocky balboa media feeding folks good/evil stories….they would have to hit .380 with 58 HR and 130 RBI a piece to keep the fans off their back…

            • Hey JDD

              >>>>and my issue with Justin is he is not able to handle boo’s in the mighty Arizona market without saying he doesn’t care what fans think.

              This was his response to the Boo’s
              _________________________________________________________________________
              http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2012/07/diamondbacks-justin-upton-responds-to-criticism-from-fans/1#.UOc1JW80WSo
              “You know what? To be honest with you, I don’t care anything about what the fans think of me,” Upton said on Wednesday night, after he was booed throughout the Diamondbacks’ loss to the San Diego Padres, who completed their first-ever three-game sweep at Chase Field.”

              “My teammates, my coaches, they know I come in here and I bust it every single day. I come in here and try to do everything I can to help this team and my teammates have my back.”

              “”Whatever the fans want to think, they can think,” Upton continued. “They can call me lazy. I’ve heard that in the outfield. They can call me washed up. Whatever they want to call me. But at the end of the day, I’m thankful for every opportunity I get to come out on a baseball field. I come out here and I try my hardest every day.”
              ___________________________________________________________________________
              Not to mention Jessep also fails to mention those Boo’s were racial slurs like the word N*gg*r….
              http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/20120706chris-young-justin-upton-say-racial-slurs-from-spectators-arent-surprise.html
              Sorry Justin Upton isnt as thick skinned as Jackie Robinson or Larry Doby and the other non whites whom played at the time….
              _________________________________________________________________________
              But its a good thing Justin Uptons skin is thicker than Ty Cobb who once beat the crap out of a fan with “no hands” because the fan called Cobb a “Half N*gg*r”. Cobb later stated he took it as an insult, “reflecting on my mother’s color and morals”. The great racist Ty Cobb was also known to hurl racial insults at Babe Ruth from the dugout calling him the same N-word he felt was so harsh he had to beat up a handless man…

              Here’s a snippet of what Cobb though of The Great Babe Ruth from an Sports Illustrated Article by Daniel Okrent:

              “”The notoriously racist Ty Cobb once refused to share a cabin with Ruth at a Georgia hunting lodge. “I’ve never bedded down with a n——-,” said Cobb, according to a contemporary, the sportswriter Fred Lieb, “and I’m not going to start now.” The same repellent epithet was spit at Ruth by opposing bench jockeys, who saw in the Babe’s full lips, broad nose and swarthy complexion a visual basis for their vile insults.”"
              http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1022447/index.htm
              __________________________________________________________________________
              Its a nice small article to read at work if bored. Made me do more research on Babe Ruth’s career very interesting life…I gained a new respect for him personally and as a player after reading up on him. While other white ball players wanted no part of Latin or black players Ruth seemed to love barnstorming and playing with and against them.

      • You’re right, but in that regard it kind of reminds me of Darryl Strawberry and his lapses in effort and concentration. Of course we then learned he was coked up for most of his Mets tenure.

        • Well that’s the problem, if he was coked up, that’s super lazy to lalley gag in the field. I would of been running circles screaming at batters to hit the ball towards me while juggling at the same time.

  • The 3 you mentioned are all pipe dreams for us…LOL If i were Alderson, even LH I would at least try to make something happen with LA for Ethier. A package built around Murphy and Parnell for Capuano or Harang and Ethier, sign Freddie Sanchez for a year as a stop gap for Murphy, back him up with Cedeno or similiar, and Havens in Vegas. At least you get an innings eater, a power bat in the OF and replace Parnell with Familia. Seems to me, LA was interested in Parnell, and wanted/ checked in about Murph last winter….Power is needed Ethier would at least be a true major leaguer out there which would be better than what we have with a bunch of 4A players..Then maybe some younger guys for an Eaton from Arizona. Sign Nyjer Morgan for CF at least you could try something Alderson? No?

    • I always liked Eithier. He is a good hitter, has some pop, and a GG caliber OF. Like always, the big question is what will it take to get him.

  • Only one of those guys that is even semi-realistic is Upton and even that is also far fetched. We just don’t match-up that well for those teams in terms of a trade.

    • We definitely match up….Its just that we know Sandy wouldnt entertain such a deal, he rarely if ever trades for MLB talent. As he is with his free agent acquisitions he likes to acquire unprovens whom cost less in terms of money and players he would have to give up.

      He doesnt want to be on the other end of the spectrum of making a deal and having it backfire. He consistently plays it safe in that regard, which might explain why he didnt trade Reyes for prospects but rather felt comfortable accepting draft picks instead. Trading Dickey and Beltran away were easier to do because both could be said were on the downside of there careers while Reyes would be entering his prime. If Reyes puts up great numbers Sandy will take a hit for letting Reyes walk but it would be worst if he traded Reyes and the prospects we got in return bombed out. Everyone remembers the Seaver and Kazmir trades

  • The Mets have not been linked to any of these outfielders, and yesterday a source told Adam Rubin the Mets are likely not adding an MLB outfielder via free agency this offseason”

    ????? then why the need for the post? To torture mets fans into thinking this FO will somehow net one of this players? Ohhh, scratch Upton out of there, JesseP wouldn’t want him as a met so..

    • Actually the Mets source didn’t say anything close to that. He said it’s conceivable they don’t. Also that was in FA not in trade.

      • Ok, first you defended the FO by saying it was early, after not doing sh** but pick up garbage so far, reports say what we feared to be truth about the mets not adding anybody good to the team, then now you’re defending saying the reports are not close to that but that they conceivable don’t? WTF? you are something else you know! Admit you wrong and move on, they won’t add anything else to the team, and if they do, it’s probably more rejects…

        • LOL Alex, It’s remarkable that he thinks the Mets have a big move in the works and they are waiting for April Fool’s Day to spring it on us. :-)

          • Actually I this point I too think it’s conceivable they don’t sign anyone else. I hope it isn’t the case but at least stop destroying the English language by butchering the definition of a word.

        • Alex, it’s not anything to do with defending or not defending. It’s simple damn reading, try it.

          The “Mets insider” said it’s conceivable they don’t sign someone. How in the hell does that translate in anyone’s mind to they WILL NOT. It’s simple damn English.
          Conceivable: Capable of being imagined or grasped mentally.

          Evidently the grasped mentally part here is often lost on a lot of things.

          Just to back up the point, here comes Rubin with a retraction hidden in his Chris Young post:

          “Although one Mets insider told ESPNNewYork.com on Thursday that the outfield may be set without the addition of a bona fide starter, another official familiar with the organization’s intentions said Friday that outfield at least remains on the shopping list….A source said a trade remains possible to address needs. ”

          LOL, so I should now go around making post and statements saying “The Mets WILL add an OF, trade likely”?

          How is it that people can’t frigging read anymore?

          • “The “Mets insider” said it’s conceivable they don’t sign someone. How in the hell does that translate in anyone’s mind to they WILL NOT. ”

            So when we dont find a trade partner…and spring training opens…are you going to admit we’re not adding talent in the OF?

            or are you going to use the “Sandy can still trade for somebody” line til the end of time ?

            • It doesn’t matter what I THINK will happen. It’s about taking a word and changing the definition to meet your agenda. Conceivable means conceivable. You can’t change it to definite or even probable. It’s just conceivable.

              • and you are using that conceivable word to defend Sandy’s inaction…

                Sandy can always conceivably trade for an ALL-Star OF under the age of 25

                hang on to that for how long ?

                • I am not even defending anything. I am attacking the idea that saying that anything conceivable means anything definite. I know, I know, hard to understand.

                  • and folks who DEFEND SANDY not getting an outfielder are currently using the same “conceivable” argument.

                    They can just cut and paste that til next neverary

  • You never know. The Mets could swoop in at the last minute and make a play of one of these outfielders. Surely they must know nothing is remotely close in the minors and that Nimmo hasn’t impressed and is moving along slower than anyone anticipated.

  • I’m constantly amazed at how many comments can be generated by non-news, so here’s another one. Some more players are likely to be traded this off-season. The Mets may or may not be involved.

    • It’s certainly conceivable isn’t it? LOL.

    • I like the definiteness of this post.

  • The bottom line is the Mets most likely dont have enough to trade for a major player like Stanton (or the others). The list of prospects that any team will want is short. Outside of Harvey and Wheeler, what pieces do they have to build a deal? Most of their talent is low level which nets little. Flores is the only piece that is worthwhile but it doesnt seem, based upon the lack of rumors, that many are interested in him. And, if it takes some major league players, anyone good the Mets include only creates another hole for them (i.e Ike or Niese).

    Hence is life in an organization devoid of talent.

    • Yup, it’s not that we couldn’t get one of those guys, it’s just that we aren’t in the position to be able to afford to do it for a guy like Stanton in terms of prospects or Either in terms of cash.

      I heard on MLBN radio this morning that basically Stanton would cost you your #1 prospect and then 3 out of the next 4 plus a lower upside guy. So basically 4/5 best prospects and a filler. Seriously how in the hell could the Mets afford to do that?

      • We did that in 2007 and got Johan…

        • Do you think that the Mets then and the Mets now are in the same situation of thinking they need just one more player to push them over the top?

          • Also, Martinez was considered our #1.

          • I think Johan Santana and Stanton are 2 different players that fit 2 different needs…

            Stanton just turned 23, enters arb next year….

            Santana was turning 28…first year as a free-agent…

            The problem is not only getting stanton…but also extending him….

            You can give Stanton a 10 year 140 mil contract right now and it would still be looked as a steal

            getting stanton from age 23-33 would be smart money

            getting stanton from age 28-38…not so much…

    • we’ll probably trade Ike….

      if it leads to players we can flip for Stanton ( who would have to be signed to an extension ),

      Mets would then flip flop Flores and Murphy between 1B and 2B every other day with Justin Turner rotating after the 8th inning for defense

      • I love this idea that you are creating that the Mets will most likely trade Ike. I just don’t see it. He fits the mold much too well. High PPA, high BB/PA, HR hitter… Seems exactly what SA IS looking for.

        • the only thing Ike does well that sandy values is hit HR…

          Ike plays defense…Sandy read about it once in a baseball magazine…

          Sandy values PPA …Ike once read about it on Metsblog

          • Do you never read anything anyone else posts or just not the things that fit your agenda?

            Let me try this again.

            Ike lead all NL 1B in PPA last season
            http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/position/1b/league/nl/sort/pitchesPerPlateAppearance/type/expanded

            And lead the NL 1B in BB/PA
            http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/position/1b/league/nl/sort/walksPerPlateAppearance/type/sabermetric/order/true

            But hey you have never let facts get in the way of your drivel.

            • If a guy watches 4 straight borderline balls, he shows great patience at the plate and discipline…

              if a guy watches 1 ball for a strike then fouls off 8 pitches out of the strike zone, only to strike out, he shows less patience at the plate and discipline…

              one guy saw 4 pitches, the other one saw 10

              Sandy values plate discipline, not necessarily just PPA…i’ll give him a lil bit more credit than that…

              Ike is a free swinger who fouls off a ton of balls that may/may not even be in the strike zone

              • Really, so all that criticizing when Sandy mentioned PPA as an indicator of decline was unwarranted and Sandy doesn’t care that much about it? Bull-crap, can’t have it both ways.

              • “Sandy values PPA …Ike once read about it on Metsblog”

                Didn’t you just say this? Now when faced with the facts, run… run…

  • Hi Rob,

    If there are trade rumors for Giancarlo Stanton, Justin Upton and Andre Ethier and the Mets are not associated with any of them – then why post it on a Mets blog? When they are signed, we can then determine if the Mets had the resources to also compete with the offers that were agreed upon to, that would be the time for the discussion.

    Of course, it might have been posted on MMO just to stir up more emotions…. :)

  • “The Mets have not been linked to any of these outfielders, and yesterday a source told Adam Rubin the Mets are likely not adding an MLB outfielder via free agency this offseason.”

    And yet today, apparently, looking for OF help is still on their wish list.

    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/59734/young-viable-recker-likely-as-backup-catcher

    It would be downright foolish for the Mets not to look at Stanton….then again, you can say that about every other team in the league.

  • “…a source told Adam Rubin the Mets are likely not adding an MLB outfielder via free agency this offseason.”

    He needed a SOURCE to tell him that?

    • Yes Metsie he did. Otherwise TRS would have had major issues with it. :-D

      • LOL

    • Actually that’s not what the quote said to start with but thanks for playing.

      • I copied and pasted that directly from the Article above….

        Thanks for NOT reading…

        • I can’t help that the author did not paste the quote correctly. Go read what Rubin actually wrote.

          • Why do I have to read Rubins quote to make the point about HOW OBVIOUS the notion they will not sign anyone is?

            At best they get Hairston back that is if they don’t wait too long and he signs somewhere else…

            NOT LIKELY is just as APPARENT cosidering the actions of this FO as NOT EVER!
            Because even IF they sign someone he isn’t really solving a thing in the OF just another bandaid to try and stop the bleeding from the cuts this FO made….

            You do realize that we didn’t need all this OF wehn Sandy started right?
            he CREATED this problem it wasn’t inherited!

  • Would Flores, Familia, Lagares, Tapia, & Cecchini enough for Stanton?

    • No.

NL East Standings

TeamWLPct.GB
Braves2418.571 -
Nationals2320.5351.5
Phillies2023.4654.5
Mets1624.4007.0
Marlins1132.25613.5

Last updated: 05/18/2013

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