Rosenthal: Blue Jays front-runners for Melvin Upton Jr.

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly the front-runners to land San Diego Padres outfielder Melvin Upton Jr., according to Ken Rosenthal.

This builds on a report from ESPN’s Jim Bowden last week that the Blue Jays had been linked to Upton. While the 31-year-old outfielder has generated substantial trade buzz around Major League Baseball ahead of the August 1st trade deadline, the return of Jose Bautista from a turf toe injury and the club’s current roster construction make Upton a curious fit.

In terms of the lineup, the addition of Upton would hypothetically bump first-baseman Justin Smoak out of the starting nine.

With Michael Saunders and Kevin Pillar in left and centre, Upton would likely take Bautista’s place in right field with Encarnacion moving to first base and Bautista moving to DH. There would be room for Saunders to cycle through, of course, but in both cases, Upton’s defence would be the valued asset.

Upton does have 16 home runs this season with 20 stolen bases, but has already racked up 106 strikeouts, the 11th-most in the American League. Along with a .256 average and .743 OPS, Upton does not offer a significant upgrade offensively (though he has earned a fWAR of 1.5 in 92 games).

Beyond the on-field factors, the majority of the Blue Jays’ interest in Upton could come down to team control and dollars. Upton is earning $14.45 million this season and $16.45 in 2017, the final year of his deal.

As the Blue Jays showed in their acquisition of Jason Grilli, buying low (relatively speaking) or taking on a financial commitment can drastically lessen the prospect capital required in a deal. Would Toronto prefer to eat salary and limit their outgoing prospect capital, or would budget constrictions force the Jays to part with a legitimate name? This could go in several directions, but with a player like Upton, that flexibility could be an advantage.

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Making the situation even more interesting is the fact that Upton is currently in Toronto with the Padres. The two teams will play tonight at 7:07 p.m. ET before a Wednesday matinee.