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Justin Upton has reportedly invoked his no-trade clause to halt a trade that would have sent him from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Seattle Mariners. The news is tangentially related to the Mets, as the team has a definite need for outfielders and Upton has reportedly been on the trade block for several months.
According to the report from FOX Sports, the Mariners would have given up "a package of young talent" to acquire Upton, which is about as vague as it gets. If the rumored and reported price tag for Upton — which was quite high — is accurate, it would take several young players for the Mets to get back into the mix.
Upton had a down year in 2012, hitting just .280/.355/.430 with 17 home runs. While the batting average and on-base percentage were in line with his career numbers, it was his power that really dipped. His career slugging percentage is .475, and it had been .529 in 2011.
On top of that, Upton's career splits at home and away are at least significant. He's hit .307/.389/.548 in Arizona — one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the game — and .250/.325/.406 on the road. That, of course, doesn't mean he'd be awful on another team; Matt Holliday's performed just fine since leaving Colorado with a distinct split advantage at Coors Field.