The Tampa Bay Rays have been seen as a team that could be either a buyer or a seller in the run-up to the 2011 MLB trade deadline. Today's news — that Upton "will" be traded by the Rays before the deadline, in the words of FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal — certainly indicates that the Rays will be sellers of at least one of their most valuable assets.
Teams with reported interest in Upton include the Nationals and Indians, two teams that could be long-term stops for Upton. Atlanta Journal-Constitution writer Mark Bradley has suggested that the Braves might want to pursue Upton to bolster their outfield.
Upton, 26, has been playing for the Rays on a series of one-year contracts since 2007, but his price tag is getting unmanageable for the small-market Tampa Bay franchise: he is making nearly $5 million this year, and will only command more as he enters his prime.
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