Is BJ Upton on the move?
With winter meetings and the eMLB draft not far in the future, the Flying Squirrels are looking to shore up a team with many deficiencies. New GM Adam L. Anson stated that while he has always been an advocate of strong starting pitching as the foundation of a strong team, the upcoming draft will be used to start building a champion. This means every pick will have to be a value pick and the best available player will likley come off the board when the Squirrels go on the clock, especially in the early rounds. "We're lacking at several positions, so making every pick count is going to be crucial for us," said first year GM Adam Anson.
As they currently stand, the Squirrels are willing to stand pat at the winter meetings, as ownership does not feel they have a lot of valuable pieces to move. GM Adam Anson was quoted as saying, "Draft picks are our most valuable commodity right now. We have a couple of contracts we'd like to move and a couple of contracts we'd love to move, but thusfar there has been minimal interest and we are ok with that." Rumors have abounded that BJ Upton and Daisuke Matsuzaka could be moved, and these deals could still go down, but with the Squirrels depleted OF, it is unlikely Upton will be moved.
Obviously a strong draft could help this team compete in the short term, but the Squirrels are looking to build for the future. This of course means that all offers will have to be taken into strong consideration, no matter who they involve. When asked if any player was untouchable, Anson said flatly, "Absolutely not."
The inaugural season for the Flying Squirrels looks to be interesting, if not wholly entertaining.
