Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - The Arizona Diamondbacks have finally unloaded
Justin Upton, dealing the outfielder to the Atlanta Braves in a seven-player
package.
Upton and third baseman Chris Johnson are heading to Atlanta in exchange for
utilityman Martin Prado, pitcher Randall Delgado and minor leaguers Nick
Ahmed, Brandon Drury and Zeke Spruill.
The deal unites the Upton brothers, as B.J. signed with the Braves as a free
agent earlier this offseason.
Arizona had been trying to deal Justin Upton all winter and earlier this month
reportedly had a trade in place with the Mariners. Upton, though, apparently
invoked his limited no-trade clause.
Justin Upton had spent his entire six-year career in Arizona and in 2012
batted .280 with 17 homers and 67 runs batted in. He had career bests of 31
homers and 88 RBI in 2011, winning a Silver Slugger Award in the process while
finishing fourth in the NL MVP voting.
The two-time All-Star is a career .278 hitter with 108 homers and 363 runs
batted in.
Johnson was acquired by Arizona last July in a trade with Houston and hit a
combined .281 with 15 homers and 76 RBI in 136 games last season. The 28-year-
old made his big league debut in 2009 with the Astros and is a career .276
hitter with 33 homers and 171 RBI in 348 games.
Prado had spent his entire seven-year career with Atlanta and was an All-Star
in 2010. He has played primarily second base, third base and left field during
his career and is a .295 hitter with 52 homers and 286 RBI in 683 games. Last
season, he played a career-high 156 games and batted .301 with 10 homers and
70 runs batted in.
Delgado has appeared in 25 games, all but one as a starter, in two years since
making his big league debut in 2011. The right-hander, who will turn 23 next
month, is 5-10 with a 3.95 ERA, including 4-9 with a 4.37 ERA in 18 games last
season.
Ahmed, a 22-year-old shortstop, hit .269 with 40 stolen bases last year at
Single-A Lynchburg, while Drury, a 20-year-old infielder, batted .229 with six
homers in 123 games at Single-A Rome in 2012. Spruill, a 23-year-old right-
hander, spent last season at Double-A Mississippi and was 9-11 with a 3.67 ERA
in 27 starts.
The Sports Network