B.J. Upton has been claimed off the waiver wire, according to St. Pete Times' Marc Topkin. Before the trade deadline we got a fair share of trade rumors, but the Rays never closed a deal - and they may not this time either. Our insider Topkin says a deal is unlikely. The other team is currently unknown.
↵It's not unusual for teams to test the waters with the waiver wire, but given the amount of interest in Upton earlier this season, a trade would not come as a surprise. The Rays have plenty of outfielders to fill his shoes, but Upton is still a valuable asset to this team. He is tied for 5th on the roster in Wins Above Replacement (1.7) and could contribute down the stretch if management believes they can make a playoff push.
↵While Upton has underperformed with his bat this season (17 homers and a slash line of .223/.303/.387), his speed and defense have continued to be stellar. He has 26 steals thus far and is considerably the fourth best defensive center fielder in the game, according to the defense statistic UZR.
↵Stay close for any news that breaks, and look for more analysis at our Rays affiliate DRaysBay.
↵UPDATE: per Marc Topkin
↵↵As expected, CF B.J. Upton remained with the Rays on Monday as the window closed to make a trade with the still unknown team that claimed him on waivers.
↵There has been speculation that it was the Nationals or Indians. The Rays did not seem likely to make a deal now given they talked to several teams at the July 31 deadline and can talk to all teams during the off-season.
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