Fansided

Blue Jays: Fantasy Fallout From Melvin Upton Jr. Acquisition

By Bill Pivetz

July 8, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Melvin Upton Jr. (2) hits a single in the fifth inning against Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
July 8, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Melvin Upton Jr. (2) hits a single in the fifth inning against Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Blue Jays added outfield depth by trading for veteran Melvin Upton Jr. He joins a better lineup and could see a boost to his already productive year.

With the trade deadline just six days away, Aug. 1 this season, there have already been a lot of moves. This is the time of year where teams decide if they are buyers or sellers, or if in the New York Yankees case, indecisive. The Blue Jays are definitely buyers as they are just three games back of the first place Baltimore Orioles in the American League East.

In order to solidify depth, the team traded for outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. and did so by not giving up a lot in return. This does create a ripple effect for a lot of Blue Jays hitters, though.

Upton has played most of his career in center field. However, with top-tier defender Kevin Pillar out there, that doesn’t seem likely. Michael Saunders is over in left field and has been hitting well, but will sit against lefties. This leads us to Jose Bautista in right field.

Bautista just returned from injury, so he isn’t 100 percent healthy. If the Blue Jays want, and should, they could move him to DH and place Edwin Encarnacion at first base. This leaves Justin Smoak without a starting job. Considering the numbers Smoak is putting up this season, that may not be a bad idea. This move also puts Ezequiel Carrera as the No. 5 outfielder on the depth chart. 

More from Fantasy Baseball

The Blue Jays are getting a good outfielder for the final two-plus months of the season. Upton is having one of the best seasons of his career. He is hitting .256 with 16 home runs, 45 RBI and 20 steals. The combination of power and speed is something we haven’t seen since his prime years with the Tampa Bay Rays.

On the flip side, the San Diego Padres continue to be sellers. The fact that Upton was able to put up a good first half allowed the team to dump some of his salary. They got a young right-handed pitcher in Hansel Rodriguez, but we won’t be seeing him for a few seasons.

In San Diego’s outfield, you will see Matt Kemp in right, Travis Jankowski in center and Alex Dickerson in left. Jankowski is not hitting all that well, so his job may be in jeopardy. If so, look for Hunter Renfroe to get the call. He’s hitting .331 with 25 home runs and 87 RBI in 95 Triple-A games.

Next: Jedd Gyorko Worth Adding?

The Blue Jays did not give up a lot to acquire Upton. From a fantasy perspective, this doesn’t hurt is value at all. He’ll be protected in the lineup and his familiarity with the AL East parks is a plus. If he’s available in your league, owned in just 59.8 percent of ESPN leagues, I’d take a flyer on him. He can give you some power and speed when he does play.

Home/Fantasy Baseball