On Thursday, we broke down the seven-player trade that sent Justin Upton from Arizona to the Atlanta Braves.
Later that day, Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers held a conference call with reporters. Some key highlights:
The Atlanta Braves acquired Justin Upton from the Arizona Diamondbacks Thursday, sending away five players and also the timid approach to roster building that had limited the Braves to not-quite-good-enough status in recent years.
Upton and veteran third baseman Chris Johnson will head to Atlanta in the deal. In return, Arizona acquired Martin Prado, a productive infielder/outfielder who'll play third for the D-backs, along with 22-year-old right-hander Randall Delgado and three minor leaguers: Nick Ahmed, Zeke Spruill, and Brandon Drury.
A year ago around this time, we lamented the Braves' conservative spending and trading tendencies, and how it seemed the front office and the Braves' corporate owner, Liberty Media, were content to build teams that were good, but not quite World Series contenders.
When Arizona Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick joined Phoenix radio station XTRA-910 for an interview Tuesday, he had no plans to hold back. Kendrick wasn't happy with the way his team was playing, and he had particular pointed comments for two of his employees: Stephen Drew and Justin Upton.
"You know, I'm going to be real direct about Stephen," Kendrick said regarding Stephen Drew, the team's usual starting shortstop who's been out since July 2011 with a serious ankle injury. "I think Stephen should have been out there playing before now. And, frankly, I for one am disappointed. I'm going to be real candid and say I think Stephen and his representatives are more focused on where Stephen is going to be a year from now than going out and supporting the team that's paying his salary. All you can do is hope that the player is treating the situation with integrity, and, frankly, we have our concerns."
He wasn't done. Addressing the disappointing numbers put up this season by his star right fielder, Kendrick's words came crashing down like lightning bolts.
