Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies likely to pursue B.J. Upton in free agent market - MLB
Centre fielder, B.J. Upton might be under the consideration of Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves as both these organisations prepare for purchasing free agents in the market.
The Phillies genuinely need a reliable outfielder, who can ensure power and make fine plays in the field.
Similarly, Atlanta Braves require someone for the same position in order to keep their preparations for the 2013 regular season afloat.
The Braves had Michael Bourn during 2012 season but currently he is a free agent, which means that there is a possibility that he is signed by some other organisation in the offseason.
While the Braves are interested in retaining Bourn, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to meet his demands.
Upton can be another option, other than Bourn, for Atlanta in centre field. Upton is equally capable of showing impressive defence and power.
Upton played for the Tampa Bay Rays during 2012 season. He struck a great number of home-runs, along with stealing bases on a consistent basis.
While there are many organisations that seek outfielders, the Phillies are ideally poised to obtain Upton, because they have the money needed to sign a contract with him.
The Phillies traded their regular centre fielder Shane Victorino in the last season.
As a result, their options have become limited. The fact they are h**l-bent to win Division title next year gives a reason to believe that they will be ready to spend a huge amount of money for acquiring any player that fulfils their criteria.
Phillies’ General Manager, Rubén Amaro, Jr. is of the view that they will look into various factors before they make any decision regarding free agency buying. Unless proper knowledge about the players is gained, signing contracts is risky.
"The tricky part about that is you better pay for the right guy," Amaro said. "When you pay for those guys, you just don't know how they'll play in Philadelphia. There's always a risk because you don't know a guy."
Within a next few days, it can be expected names of those players that have been contacted by Philadelphia surface.
It will be interesting to see which organisation signs Upton in the free agency market.
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