Atlanta Braves OF Justin Upton updates “no-trade” list

Every member of the Atlanta Braves outfield has been linked to trade rumors, and it is only November 11th. With that on the table, the team’s lone winner of a Silver Slugger award, Justin Upton, has reportedly updated the list of teams for which he can block any trade attempt during this off-season.

Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports that Justin Upton could block any trade to the Cubs, Brewers, Indians or Blue Jays, and this ability stems back to his previous contract negotiation with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Amusingly, this would presumably allow the Seattle Mariners to trade for Upton again, which is noteworthy because Seattle attempted to deal for the right-handed power bat in 2012 before he was eventually moved to Atlanta.

Does this really matter? Maybe.

Justin Upton would not appear to be a prime trade candidate for the Braves, simply because the team is in desperate need of his bat in the lineup. However, the 27-year-old outfielder’s contract will expire after 2015 (as noted above), and without any concrete “plan” in place to sign him long-term, the Braves could theoretically look toward the future with a potential move.

For now, it appears as if the Braves have centered on marketing the services of Evan Gattis to potential bidders, but if things go quiet on that front, don’t be surprised if Justin Upton (or even Jason Heyward) is linked to multiple suitors before the end of the “hot stove league”.

Stay tuned for the latest on the Atlanta Braves, including full coverage of off-season transactions.