Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton, come on down! You're the latest player heating up the Red Sox hot stove.
The 23-year-old outfielder, whom D-Backs general manager Kevin Towers claimed was a player the team is open to trading this offseason, has reportedly been the topic of conversation between the Sox and Diamondbacks, according to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports.
The first overall pick in the 2005 MLB draft hit .273 with 17 homers, 69 RBIs and 18 steals in 133 games in 2010 — his first year of a six-year, $51.25 million contract. He was bothered by a shoulder injury that limited him to just five games after Aug. 30.
Upton had a career year in 2009 when he belted 26 homers, drove in 86 runs and batted .300.
Morosi and fellow MLB analyst Ken Rosenthal assume the D-Backs would likely ask for a back-end reliever, a starter and a bat, and list Daniel Bard and Jacoby Ellsbury as potential targets on the team's radar.
