5 Ways the Philadelphia Phillies Could Land B.J. Upton
After making the playoffs five years in a row from 2007-11, the Philadelphia Phillies missed out on the postseason in 2012, finishing 17 games back of the Washington Nationals.
They’ll need to get healthy in the offseason and add a game-changing bat in the middle of the lineup. No, his name isn’t Josh Hamilton.
It is B.J. Upton.
He was recently tendered a one-year qualifying offer by the Tampa Bay Rays, so the Phillies would have to give up their first-round pick in order to sign him.
After the Phillies were able to assemble their whole team, they were able to finish 35-24.
With Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins all recovering from injuries, and the dominant pitching staff still intact, the Phillies have a chance to make the postseason again in 2013.
All they’ll need is the defensive and offensive capabilities of B.J. Upton.
In 2012, he hit 28 homers and stole 31 bases. His OBP was a bit low at .298, but he hadn’t had a season below .300 before this one.
To put it in perspective, John Mayberry Jr.—the starter for Philadelphia down the stretch—hit 14 homers and slugged only .395.
Not to mention he doesn’t have nearly the same range Upton does.
It won’t be easy luring one of the top outfielders in the free-agent market, but here are five ways the Phillies can land him instead of Angel Pagan, Michael Bourn and Josh Hamilton.