Saturday, January 19, 2013
Mets, Cubs made runs at Upton
By Jason Catania
The New York Mets have been on the periphery of the Justin Upton trade sweepstakes this offseason, and if CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman has heard correctly, they'll probably remain just that.
Heyman tweeted that the Mets are not willing to include right-hander Zack Wheeler in such a deal, which likely eliminates them from contention, at least as long as the Arizona Diamondbacks stick to their asking price.
If Wheeler is off limits it's probably safe to assume Matt Harvey is, too, and Heyman adds that the D-backs aren't enamored with the remaining options, which could include Jonathon Niese, and prospects Wilmer Flores, Brandon Nimmo and Gavin Cecchini, among others.
Despite being on his limited no-trade list, the Cubs also asked about Upton, but Chicago backed away once the D-backs started asking about Starlin Castro, according to ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine.
If the Cubs, Mets and Mariners aren't an option, and the Yankees aren't an option either, who's left? We've talked about the Braves as a possibility, and the Orioles, Rangers and Padres have also been linked to Upton.
