Olney: Padres Match Up The Best For Justin Upton

ESPN Insider Buster Olney recently Tweeted that while the Atlanta Braves continue to look for a trading partner to unload power-hitting outfielder Justin Upton, the Braves are telling him that in terms of raw prospect talent, the San Diego Padres matchup the best on what they are seeking in return. The Padres, who are in on the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp, need an additional bat to pair with Kemp if they want to make an immediate jump in the NL West.

The Padres have the #6 ranked minor league system according to Baseball America, and have plenty of depth both in every day players as well as pitching. Braves Interim GM John Hart seeks young pitching, but would like some major league ready talent as well. He and the Braves are attempting to retool their roster on the fly, and remain competitive in an ultra-deep NL East in 2015. 

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Kemp, if and when he is acquired, will be under Padres’ team control for the next four seasons. Upton on the other hand, is entering his free agent walk year, and if the Padres were to give up any talent, they may want to talk extension before going much further. It’s tough to hand over a ton of talent for a one-year rental when a team isn’t close to winning a title. It should be interesting to see how these negotiations play out.