D-backs president says it would be tough to trade Upton

Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall did not say the team
would not trade Justin Upton, only that it would be
difficult to do so at this time.

“We would have to just be completely shocked and blown
over for us to to make a deal,” he told Arizona Sports
620’s Doug and Wolf Thursday.

Upton’s struggles this season have been no secret, as the
right fielder has gone from MVP candidate to likely trade
candidate in the span of less than a year.

However, as Hall noted, a down season is no reason to
simply give up on a 24-year-old with as much talent as
Upton possesses.

“He is a very, very good player and he has really been,
more or less, the face in that clubhouse the last few
years,” Hall said. “It would be difficult to move him
right now.”

That’s not the impression some are getting, as seemingly
daily reports that are released indicate the D-backs are
actively looking to make a deal involving the two-time
All-Star.

After all, with the team struggling to keep pace in the NL
West and in the Wild Card race, it’s not hard to imagine
GM Kevin Towers wanting to shake things up, and Upton is
easily Arizona’s most valuable trade piece.

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