The following Press Release is courtesy the San Diego Padres
Padres acquire OF Justin Upton from Atlanta Braves
Club also acquires minor league RHP Aaron Northcraft
SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres today announced that they have acquired outfielder Justin Upton and right-handed pitcher Aaron Northcraft from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for left-handed pitcher Max Fried, infielder Dustin Peterson, infielder Jace Peterson and outfielder Mallex Smith as well as international bonus compensation. Executive Vice President/General Manager A.J. Preller made the announcement.
Upton, 27, hit .270 with 34 doubles, two triples, 29 home runs, 102 RBI and 77 runs scored in 154 games for the Braves in 2014. Since the start of the 2009 season, the two-time National League All-Star (2009, 2011) and Silver Slugger Award winner (2011, 2014) ranks fourth among NL players with 1,587 total bases, tied for fifth with 147 home runs and seventh with 482 RBI. In 46 career games at Petco Park, Upton has hit 10 home runs, tied for the highest total by any visiting player in the ballpark’s history. The 6-2, 205 pound outfielder owns a lifetime .274 batting average with 208 doubles, 32 triples, 164 home runs and 535 RBI in 1,034 games over parts of eight Major League seasons for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2007-12) and Braves (2013-14). The first-round draft selection of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2005 Draft, Upton will be the eighth former number one draft selection to appear with the Padres, joining Mike Ivie (1970), Dave Roberts (1972), Bill Almon (1974), Shawn Abner (1984), Andy Benes (1988), Phil Nevin (1992) and Adrian Gonzalez (2000).
Northcraft, 24 pitched to a combined 7-10 record with a 4.70 ERA (68 ER, 130.1 IP) with 113 strikeouts against 55 walks in 26 games, 24 starts, between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett in 2014. The right-hander owns a lifetime 40-43 record with a 3.91 ERA and 559 strikeouts against 245 walks over 127 games, 118 starts, over parts of six minor league seasons. A native of Tucson, Arizona, Northcraft was the 10th-round draft choice of the Braves in 2009 out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif.
Fried, 20, pitched to a combined 0-1 record with a 5.06 ERA (6 ER, 10.2 IP) and 10 strikeouts against five walks in five games, all starts, between the Rookie-level Arizona League Padres and Single-A Fort Wayne. A first-round draft selection (seventh overall) by the Padres in 2012, he underwent Tommy John Surgery his left elbow on August 20, 2014. The Encino, Calif., native owns a lifetime 6-9 record with a 3.61 ERA and 127 strikeouts against 67 walks in 38 games, 37 starts, over parts of three professional seasons.
Dustin Peterson, 20, hit .233 with 31 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs, 79 RBI and 64 runs scored in 126 games for Single-A Fort Wayne in 2014. The second-round draft choice of the Padres in the 2013 draft out of Gilbert High School (Ariz.), the 6-2, 180 pound infielder has hit .247 with 39 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs and 97 RBI in 164 games over parts of two minor league seasons.
Jace Peterson, 24, split the 2014 season between Double-A San Antonio, Triple-A El Paso and San Diego, hitting a combined .307 with 24 doubles, six triples, three home runs, 46 RBI and 54 runs scored in 86 minor league games compared to a .113 average with three runs scored and two stolen bases in 27 games for the Padres in what was his first Major League stint. A native of Lake Charles, La., the infielder has posted a career .287 batting average with 73 doubles, 33 triples, 14 home runs, 187 RBI and 258 runs scored in 389 games over parts of four minor league seasons since being selected by the Padres in Comp Round A (58th overall) of the 2011 Draft.
Smith, 21, hit a combined .310 with 29 doubles, seven triples, five home runs, 31 RBI, 88 stolen bases and 99 runs scored in 120 games in 2014 between Single-A Fort Wayne and Advanced-A Lake Elsinore. The left-handed hitting outfielder was voted by fans on MiLB.com as the 2014 Minor League Baseball Offensive Player of the Year after he led the minors in stolen bases (second place, 69). A native of Tallahassee, Fla., Smith owns a lifetime .290 batting average with 48 doubles, 10 triples, 11 home runs, 75 RBI and 169 stolen bases in 1,217 games over parts of three minor league seasons since being selected by the Padres in the fifth round of the 2012 Draft.
The following Press Release is courtesy the Atlanta Braves.
Braves and Padres Complete Six-Player Trade
Atlanta acquires four top prospects and an international bonus pool slot
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres completed a six-player trade today, as the Braves have acquired left-handed pitcher Max Fried, infielder Jace Peterson, outfielder Mallex Smith, infielder Dustin Peterson and the Padres’ fourth international bonus pool slot, in exchange for outfielder Justin Upton and right-handed pitcher Aaron Northcraft.
“We appreciate everything Justin Upton did for us in his two seasons in Atlanta,” said John Hart, Braves president of baseball operations. “With this trade we were able to get back four quality players and some international bonus money, which is extremely important to our international scouting efforts. This move will help build our organization for the long-term.”
Fried, 21, was the Padres’ first selection (seventh overall) in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) High School. The 6-foot-4, 170-pound lefty was rated by Baseball America as the top left-handed pitcher among all players in the 2012 draft class and has been ranked by Baseball America in the Padres top 10 prospect list the last two seasons, including entering the 2014 season as San Diego’s third-best prospect.
In 2014, Fried made five appearances (all starts) totaling 10.2 innings between Peoria (R) and Fort Wayne (A) prior to undergoing “Tommy John” surgery in August. The 2013 season marked Fried’s first full season, when he made 23 starts with Fort Wayne, going 6-7 with a 3.49 ERA. Fried’s overall career record stands at 6-9 with a 3.61 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 147 innings spanning 38 appearances (37 games started).
Jace Peterson, 24, appeared in 27 Major League games (18 starts) in 2014 and split time between second base and third base. The left-hander hit .307 between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso last season. Entering 2014, Peterson was ranked as the seventh-best prospect in the Padres organization by Baseball America. The infielder has batted .287 over four minor league seasons while primarily playing shortstop. Peterson, a standout baseball player and defensive back on the McNeese State University (La.) football team, was named the “Best Athlete” in the Padres organization by Baseball America in 2012. Peterson was drafted by the Padres in the supplemental round (58th overall) of the 2011 draft.
Smith, a 2012 fifth-round draft selection by San Diego out of Santa Fe (Fla.) College, completed his third season with the Padres organization in 2014. He batted .310 (148-for-477) with 29 doubles, seven triples and 99 runs scored in 120 games between Fort Wayne (A) and Lake Elsinore (High-A). The speedy outfielder led all of Class-A with a career-high 88 stolen bases, while ranking 13th with a .403 on-base percentage. Entering the 2014 campaign, Smith was rated by Baseball America as the “Fastest Baserunner” in the Padres farm system. The 5-foot-9, 155-pound outfielder owns a .290 career batting average with 48 doubles, 169 stolen bases and a .383 on-base percentage over 265 minor league games.
Dustin Peterson, 20, batted .233 with 10 home runs, 39 doubles and 79 RBI over 126 games with Single-A Fort Wayne last season. Over two minor league seasons, the third baseman owns a .247 batting average with 10 home runs and 97 RBI. Peterson was drafted by the Padres in the second round of the 2013 draft out of Gilbert (Ariz.) High School.
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