George and Weezy would be proud of the San Diego Padres' upward movement this winter. The newest Padre is just the latest sign that the San Diego's MLB denizens are committed to turning the corner as quickly as possible.
Conversely, the Atlanta Braves are moving forward with their relocation to Cobb County minus some very big stars. Earlier this winter, the Braves traded the underwhelming Jason Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals.
On Friday, the Braves completed another blockbuster by shipping slugger Justin Upton the the San Diego Padres.
The Braves purge is the Padres gain. Uton is a reputable acquisition and proves that San Diego is real about trying to finally compete again.
Don't ever tell new Padres general manager A.J. Preller that there's such thing as having too much of a good thing.
The Padres have finished under .500 in six of their last seven seasons, but seem poised for a breakthrough. The worst hitting team in the majors last season was clearly intent on infusing a few hot bats into the order to spark their offense.
The Padres acquisition of Upton gives them a crowded outfield which includes recently acquired Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, 2013 AL Rookie of the Year Wil Myers and the returning Seth Smith, the top hitter in San Diego's outfield. All of a sudden the Padres lineup looks formidable and it's a safe bet that the team won't hit .226 again.
