As the Arizona Diamondbacks prepare for the start of their second half of the season, D-backs brass have been mulling over the possibility of a trade, one that may include outfielder Justin Upton.
But when asked about his slugger recently, general manager Kevin Towers did not beat around the bush, knowing full well the risk-reward scenario that goes into any trade, especially one that involves the caliber of talent that Upton possesses. Here is what he told Arizona 620's Doug and Wolf on Thursday:
"I think anytime you're talking about players like Justin Upton there's always that chance that if you end up moving him it could backfire on you, but you have to have confidence in yourself, in your evaluators," Towers said. "You have to be realistic on where your voids are; the outfield is an area where we have depth."
Outfielder Gerardo Parra as well as minor leaguers A.J. Pollock and Adam Eaton all add to Arizona's outfield surplus, which could go a long way in filling other gaps like the infield or pitching staff. Still, Towers wants to make adeal that benefits not only the Diamondbacks, but the team on the other side of the deal as well:
"I've always looked at trades at as long as the players we're getting back make the Diamondbacks a better ballclub, not only now but going forward, and the player I end up moving ends up being a good player for the other ballclub, those are good deals," he said. "That prompts more deals to happen.
It sounds like Towers is ready to pull the trigger, but continues to search for the right target. Hopefully that will come to light more in the next few weeks.
You can hear the interview in full here.
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