According to
MLBTradeRumors, the Rockies have expressed interest in
Justin Upton. Although Arizona's
asking price is said to be very high, the Rockies lineup could be
extremely potent with the acquisition of Upton.
Their heart of the lineup could potentially consist of
Troy Tulowitzki,
Justin Upton, and
Carlos Gonzalez. Three young superstars who amassed a combined 78 home runs and 15.5 wins above replacement in 2010 (keep in mind they did incur injuries, and possibly -- especially with Upton -- have yet to reach their
full potential). The Rockies would have a powerful lineup even with a weak supporting cast.
They would also be
reckless on the basepaths. Tulo, Upton, CarGo, and
Dexter Fowler stole a combined 68 bases in 2010, and could possibly approach a combined 100 steals in 2011 if they can remain healthy and receive regular playing time.
Considering the trouble some Giants pitchers have with holding baserunners (
Tim Lincecum and
Jonathan Sanchez to be more specific), the mere prospect of the Rockies acquiring
Justin Upton is
scary. Keep in mind he's still only 23 years old.
Luckily, the Rockies would have to offer up a
pretty nice package of players in order to acquire Upton, and my intuition tells me that the Rockies will
not actually trade for him.
There's still many questions to be raised about the Rockies' entire pitching staff. Their bullpen is not very stable, and beyond
Ubaldo Jimenez, their rotation is not very impressive. I don't see how Upton would be a priority, especially considering they already have two of the best young superstars in the game in Tulo and CarGo.
Nevertheless, the notion that Upton could possibly be in a Rockies uni' in 2011 is scary.
