Here’s Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall, talking to MLB.com yesterday about Justin Upton:
“I think he’ll probably be here on Opening Day”
Kevin Towers added, “If we are overwhelmed in a deal, great. If not, the fallback is we still have Justin Upton on our team, and that’s a good thing.”
Based on the extremely high price the Dbacks are reported to be asking for Upton, this all just feels like a flier. They’re thinking that if they can hit the lottery in an Upton trade, great, but if not, forget it. Which is probably how I’d approach it if, like Towers, I just took over a team. Everyone fantasies about doing their own version of the Herschel Walker trade. And why wouldn’t you? It’s just that no one is as dumb as the 1989 Minnesota Vikings anymore, so we’re not likely to see it.