The Washington Nationals are among many teams interested in Tampa Bay Rays center fielder B.J. Upton, according to the latest MLB trade rumors. They have sent scouts to watch Upton play, and general manager Mike Rizzo has some loose connections with Upton from his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Prior to the Nationals' game against the Dodgers, Ryan Zimmerman, who grew up playing against Upton, discussed the possibility of the Nationals acquiring him and addressed some of the knocks against him. Via Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:
"I think, Mike's never come up to me and asked me like, ‘Hey, should we trade for this guy?' " Zimmerman said. "But he dealt with Justin. He knows their family and he knows what they're all about. Justin is a little more outgoing. B.J. is more quiet, and I think he gets kind of a little misunderstood. People think he's a little standoffish, maybe a little bit cocky. But he's a quiet guy.
"I think that's the biggest question people ask about him, is about his character. It's not unfair, because he is what he is. I think a lot of people get the wrong idea. He's a great guy. He works hard. He wants to win. He's competitive. A lot of thing's he's done in the past on the field have been in kind of the heat of the moment. He wants to win."
Upton is not in the Rays' lineup on Sunday, which could indicate a move is coming.