By DSR Staff
June 9, 2012
DetroitSportsRag@gmail.com

Since this is a sports website and not a supposed sports talk radio station loaded with a bunch of yentas, this blog post is about the Detroit Tigers and Justin Upton, not Kate Upton.

As you might have heard recently, the Arizona Diamondbacks could potentially be interested in trading their young, five-tool right fielder for the right price.

In an ESPN Insider post on Thursday, former MLB GM Jim Bowden speculated that the Tigers could be one of five teams interested in acquiring the 2011 NL MVP candidate.

And since the post is for ESPN Insiders only, I figured that I would do the honorable thing and post it for the DirtSpurt masses.

Like the Rangers, Upton probably requires the Tigers’ top two prospects in third baseman Nick Castellanos and right-hander Jacob Turner. Castellanos, who stood out at this year’s Futures Game, has a chance to be one of the AL’s best third basemen someday, but he is blocked in Detroit right now. He can really hit and his power should come in time. Turner has a high ceiling as well, and to trot him out with young hurlers Trevor Bauer, Tyler Skaggs and Wade Miley would set up the D-backs’ rotation for years. For the Tigers, it would give them a third impact bat behind Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielderand improve their defense in right field. And when Victor Martinez comes back in 2013, it would give the Tigers — who are clearly in “win-now” mode — arguably the best lineup in the AL.

1) Austin Jackson (CF)
2) Justin Upton (RF)
3) Miguel Cabrera (3B)
4) Prince Fielder (1B)
5) Alex Avila (C)
6) Jhonny Peralta (SS)
7) Delmon Young/Brennan Boesch Platoon (DH)
8) Quintin Berry (LF)
9)  Ramon Santiago (2B)

Yes.  Please.