The Atlanta Braves finally pulled off the move to unite the Upton brothers in Atlanta. Justin Upton joins his brother B.J. and the Braves in a trade involving seven players.
The Braves traded all-star and fan favorite Martin Prado, starter Randall Delgado and minor leaguers Nick Ahmed, Brandon Drury and Zeke Spruill to the Diamondbacks for Justin and third baseman Chris Johnson. Justin will make Atlanta fans happy, but with the departure of Prado, some fans will be furious. He was a beloved player who hustled on every single play and could play a variety of positions. His talents will sorely be missed in Atlanta. Delgado was supposed to contend for the fifth spot in the Braves' starting rotation, but it now appears that will be Julio Teheran's spot to lose.
Ahmed was a shortstop, who some compared to former Brave Jeff Blauser, but with Andrelton Simmons in place, he was expendable. Drury was a low-class minor leaguer, but could be a good third baseman in the future for the Diamondbacks. Spruill was drafted by Atlanta awhile ago, but just started to surface over the past year or two. He could help the Diamondbacks either in their rotation or in the bullpen now or in the near future.
With the addition of Justin, the Braves' outfield becomes a powerhouse with B.J. and Jason Heyward. They should be there for at least the next three years. Last year for Arizona, Justin batted .280 with seventeen home runs and 67 RBI's, but the Braves will be expecting him to put up numbers compared to his 2011 season, when he batted .289 with 31 home runs and 88 RBI's to go with 21 stolen bases. Johnson joins the Braves and will most likely be in a platoon situation with Juan Francisco at third base. Last year, he split the season between the Houston Astros and the Diamondbacks and had his best season yet, batting .281 with fifteen home runs and 76 RBI's. If Francisco struggles at the beginning of the year like he did the previous season, look for Johnson to take over everyday.
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