CBS insider: Kevin Towers won’t take less than Mariners’ package

Not so fast Justin Upton suitors.

If the two-time All-Star is to change uniforms before spring training begins in less than two months, the bar has been set pretty high.

According to CBS MLB Insider Jon Heyman, D-backs general manager Kevin Towers will not be “taking less” than the package he would have received from the Seattle Mariners had Upton approved the deal.

Upton has been on the block a few times over the past two-plus years, the Diamondbacks have an excess of very good outfielders after signing free agent Cody Ross, and while folks on other teams wonder now whether Arizona likes Upton as much as other teams do, Towers pointed out that was the only trade he agreed to involving the former No. 1 pick in all this time.

Towers also said owner Ken Kendrick is “fine” with them keeping all their outfielders. Kendrick expressed a strong affinity for Upton in this space a couple months ago, though he’s obviously leaving the call up to Towers.

If the call is up to Towers, teams will have to basically give up an arm and a leg to acquire Upton at this point.

In the deal the right fielder vetoed Thursday, the Mariners were willing to part with relievers Charlie Furbush and Stephen Pryor, minor-league shortstop Nick Franklin and top prospect Taijuan Walker.

While Heyman cited that many executives around the league called the proposed deal rather one-sided in favor of the D-backs, Arizona’s GM had a different take of his negotiations with the Mariners.

Towers suggested the Seattle deal, which got a lot of attention around baseball as a rather large package, should be looked at as the baseline for another deal, not the ceiling.