The Toronto Blue Jays Have Traded For Melvin Upton Jr.
As part of a tight, three-team race in the American League East, the third place Toronto Blue Jays have added outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. to shore up their outfield situation.
Upton is currently enjoying his best season since he left the Tampa Bay Rays after the 2012 season via free agency to sign with the Atlanta Braves. His time in Atlanta was an absolute disaster, as the 31-year-old hit .198 with a .593 OPS over two years, but he had been hitting .256 with a .743 OPS for the Padres this year, which is right around what you would’ve expected from Upton during his time with the Rays. Upton has also hit 16 homers, which is already his highest home run total since 2012, and he’s on pace to hit 26 bombs, which would be the second most he’s ever hit in his career.
This move makes sense for Toronto, because they had lost Jose Bautista for over a month with a toe injury so it’s important to keep him fresh for the postseason — if they make it that far — and Kevin Pillar having a below average OPS of .686, despite being arguably the best defensive centerfielder in the game. Upton can play all three outfield positions, so he figures to see pretty regular playing time, and not be your average fourth outfielder. Perhaps the biggest reason why he was acquired is because he mashes left-handed pitching. With an OPS of .913 against left-handed pitching this season, Upton joins Ezequiel Carrera, Edwin Encarnacion, Michael Saunders and Josh Donaldson in Toronto’s handful of hitters who have an OPS over .900 against lefties this year.
The Orioles actually tried to acquire Upton before he ended up going to the Blue Jays, and they reportedly offered Ubaldo Jimenez as part of the deal. Jimenez has the highest ERA in the MLB for pitchers with at least 80 innings (7.38), so I can’t imagine why they weren’t able to get a deal done with such an enticing offer.