There wasn't a whole lot of new news to come across the Justin Upton trade front on Wednesday night after word broke of a potential deal earlier in the day.
Here's what we know: the Braves have made an offer to the Diamondbacks to land Upton. Those in the industry feel it's a "strong offer" and one good enough to send the 25-year-old outfielder to Atlanta.
The players that could be headed Arizona have not been confirmed, although it's believed by multiple outlets that Julio Teheran and Nick Ahmed would be included. The D-backs also have interest in Evan Gattis.
Andrelton Simmons will not be dealt. There is a better chance of you or your barber being included in the deal than Simmons.
In what was the most interesting tidbit from the evening, Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan wrote this about pitching prospect J.R. Graham.
The Braves' proposed package would include shortstop prospect Nick Ahmed, according to a source. Foxsports.com reported power-hitting 26-year-old Evan Gattis, a catcher-turned-outfielder, could also be in the deal, and while Atlanta wants to keep right-hander J.R. Graham, a source said his inclusion could be the key to getting the deal done.
The whole article (and the title of the article) was a bit confusing/misleading, but if Graham is what's holding Upton from coming to Atlanta, I'd have to think Frank Wren wouldn't balk too much.
Graham is a solid prospect, but many feel he's destined to be a late-inning reliever. Those are a lot easier to find than an MVP-caliber outfielder that's under control for at least three years.
Anyway, it's now early Thursday morning. Buster Olney and Ken Rosenthal have both reported that Towers would ideally like to clear up his outfield situation before Friday.
One more thing...
It's important to remember that there is absolutely no pressure on the Braves to rush and get this deal done. Sure, it would be nice to wake up to news of a trade, but it probably isn't likely at this point.
If it isn't done by lunchtime, don't freak out. The Diamondbacks essentially have five starting outfielders on their roster, and they have to get rid of one. Kevin Towers has backed himself into a corner and has very little leverage here. Wren just needs to be patient.