Reportedly, the Chicago White Sox are kicking the tires on BJ Upton. And with that, of course, comes speculation of what he might bring in return.
ChicagoNow.com’s SoxNet wonders whether the Rays would take closer Bobby Jenks and top catching prospect Tyler Flowers in a trade to get BJ. Their belief is that the two players wouldn’t be enough to get the deal done.
The problem with Bobby Jenks is that he’s arbitration eligible for 2010 and a free agent after that. He made $5.6 million last year, and would probably see an increase again in 2010. It’s doubtful that the Rays would invest anything close to that type of money for perhaps just one year of service.
Tyler Flowers, on the other hand, looks like he could be a fit. He hits for a ton of power, although his home run numbers fell off upon his call-up to Triple-A Charlotte for the last 31 games this season. He slugged 13 for Double-A Birmingham in 77 games, but managed only two in 31 games for Charlotte.
Trading BJ Upton and his potential would be risky in any deal. To me, it would take a top catching prospect among others to make it work. Flowers might be that fit. I just don’t see Jenks as a viable closing option.
Picture: commons.wikipedia.org
