At first glance, the Atlanta Braves smoked the Arizona Diamondbacks in the blockbuster Justin Upton trade.
Through two weeks, Upton leads MLB with eight home runs. In sabermetric terms, he leads MLB in WAR (wins above replacement). Chris Johnson, also sent to Atlanta in the trade, leads the NL with a .415 batting average.
What did Arizona get in the deal? Martin Prado and a few players in the minor leagues.
Prado serves a role difficult to be measured in statistics. His versatility allows him to play practically everywhere on the field.
When D-backs second baseman Aaron Hill went down to the DL, who switched positions to cover for him?
Prado.
To fully grade the trade however, fans needs more than two weeks.
As a Braves fan, I’m giddy seeing the early results from the trade. But what happens in April may not occur in the stretch run.
On the surface, this was a terrible trade for the D-backs. Who trades a superstar, 25-year-old outfielder at less than market value?
The D-backs have to be second-guessing themselves, but there’s no looking back. If Upton was still with the D-backs, he could have eight home runs. Or zero.
They can’t think that way. Going forward, Prado will be a productive, flexible asset for the team, and they’re not getting Upton back.
