Melvin

Upton

“I think Lugo is basically our heart and soul,” manager Lou Piniella said. “He brings energy to the ballpark every night. He likes to play. He plays hard. I see him at shortstop next year.” Look for Jorge Cantu at second base, Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, and possibly Joey Gathright in the outfield, Toby Hall behind the plate, and Aubrey Huff at first base or DH. Whichever position Huff doesn’t fill could be taken by a free agent with some pop.

This is a change from the end of the season, when the Rays had projected Upton as their regular third baseman. Upton still might be an option there or he could start at shortstop if Julio Lugo is traded. It would be disappointing to see Upton return to the minors, but it is good news that the Rays now again see him as their shortstop of the future.

Upton, possibly the best prospect in baseball, batted .327 with 21 runs scored and 49 total bases in Class AA Montgomery. He reached base in 26 of the 29 games he played in Double-A. Upton should arrive in Tampa by next season at the latest. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him in the bigs by August.

No word yet on Upton’s status. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2002 draft is batting .266 with 5 HR, 26 RBI, 58/40 K/BB and 24 SB in 237 AB for Single-A Charleston.

The Rays may already be considering sending Upton back to Triple-A next week. That’s just typical Tampa Bay.

Things change quickly in Tampa, however, and if Marlon Anderson is dealt to open up a spot in the infield, there’s no telling what the Rays might do.

The Rays don’t think the problem is anything serious. Upton, one of baseball’s top prospects, is expected to begin the year with Triple-A Durham.

According to Lou Pinella, if Upton and fellow propsect Joey Gathright are to come up to the big club, it will be in Mid-July. With Tampa currently on a 10-game winning streak, news about Upton’s promotion has quieted, so we will see if he indeed is up in the majors in just under a month from now.

He also stole a base after being hit by a pitch. Upton’s average has remained steady for the last couple of months, but he is hitting for more power of late. Overall, he’s at .296/.384/.471 with 34 steals in 41 attempts.

Upton has been outstanding of late, especially in the power department. He’s batting .304/.392/.498 with 37 steals in 45 attempts.