Is It Time For The Tampa Bay Rays To Dump B.J. Upton?

Posted by By Sports Session at 14 July, at 14 : 24 PM Print

B.J. Upton has had a bit of a rough career during his time in Tampa Bay, for all the times when he has had success there seems to be some sort of problem or failure that follow soon after.  He shows his great potential at times, and then he reminds you of Delmon Young at other times.  Recently in a series against the Boston Red Sox the Tampa Bay Rays won with Upton on the bench, and that begs the question is it time for them to dump Upton?

“I just did not want to start him tonight based on a lot of different items that I’m looking at,” Rays manager Joe Maddon told MLB.com writer Bill Chastain before one of the Devil Rays games.  Maddon continued on to say,  “Often times, I don’t start somebody.  A day off after a day off is part of the reason. I just chose not to start him tonight. But he’s definitely available for the game.”

Whatever reason Maddon wants to use about not starting Upton, Rays fans couldn’t help to think it had something to do with the dugout skirmish between two of southwest Florida’s most popular athletes, Upton and Evan Longoria.

However, Upton’s short appearance didn’t help the stumbling Rays (45-32), who finished 11-14 in June and are now trailing the New York Yankees in the division.  The news gets worse.  Not only is a playoff spot slipping away, the recent events with Upton have put the front office in the spotlight, and with the trade deadline looming, the decision on what to do with the center fielder has reached a crossroads.

In 2007, Upton put up All-Star numbers in just 129 games, hitting .300 with 24 homers, 82 RBI, 86 runs, and 22 stolen bases.  At the time, Upton was 22-years old and it seemed he’d develop into a 30-30 player who could hit for average and flash the glove—despite coming through the Rays’ system having no idea what type of defensive glove he’d wear.

This hasn’t been the case, at all.  In the 2008 regular season, Upton hit .273 with nine homers, but rebounded in the postseason, smashing seven homers in 16 games.  Upton struggled in 2009, hitting .241 with 11 homers.  In 72 games this season, Upton is batting .262 with seven homers and has put the Rays’ front office on red alert.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations lately,” said, Maddon about Upton. “  We had some wonderful conversations—very frank.  I just wanted to share with him some of my past experiences as a young man and as a manager today.”  It’s well documented that Upton is a good guy who had a good upbringing by his parents, Manny and Yvonne, documented in this 2007 article by ESPN’s Bomani Jones (below).

So, let’s assume maybe attitude isn’t the problem.  Let’s say Upton’s latest tantrums and lack of hustle doesn’t come from being a bad egg.  Instead, it’s from being a frustrated competitor—Longoria confronting Upton came from frustration, right?  The real question is what happens if the player’s skills don’t listen?

At the end of the season, Upton becomes eligible for arbitration and could see a spike in pay, and starting left fielder Carl Crawford becomes a free agent.  The Rays should do all they can to keep Crawford, but they will probably be bidding against the New York Yankees and other teams with deep pockets so the prospects for keeping Crawford are slim.

According to baseball-reference.com, Upton currently makes $3 million a year. That money could be spent on Crawford, who makes $10 million and will see a pay raise to around $15 million.  That $15 million is just a guess when the Yankees get involved who knows what he could end up with.

Baseball is a business and too much attachment to an investment can hinder a team’s progression.  Upton has real-life upside, and now is the best time to move the 25-year old.  But it’s not easy to let go of an investment, especially one that a franchise has scouted, drafted, and spent time and money developing.  But at this point for the Rays, it’s time to decide.

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