3 teams that should trade for Justin Upton

The Atlanta Braves traded Jason Heyward for controllable young talent last week, and they would reportedly like to do the same with Justin Upton. 

As improbable as it sounds, the hyper-competitive Braves are willing to move a second star outfielder this offseason to avoid losing him for nothing next year. 

Upton figures to demand more or less, depending on who you ask, than Heyward's return that featured former top pitching prospect Shelby Miller. The 27-year-old left fielder is slated to earn $14.5 million next season in the final year of his contract.

(Courtesy: FanGraphs)

Helping balance the risk of dealing for an impeding free agent like Upton is the option to qualify him next season, which would either secure him for another year at roughly the same price or net the team draft-pick compensation if he signs with another club in 2016.

Whether Atlanta still covets pitching or wants to fill other needs like second base, here are three teams who should make an offer for Upton:

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners are starved for offense and had the weakest-hitting outfield in the American League in 2014.

There are still bats on the market that could be of interest to Seattle - including Melky Cabrera and Nelson Cruz - but trading for a year of Upton wouldn't be the craziest move for a team with a win-now attitude. 

With stars Robinson Cano and Felix Hernandez in their prime and Hisashi Iwakuma entering his walk year, the Mariners need to be aggressive in their efforts to contend. 

The Mariners already tried trading top pitching prospect Taijuan Walker (pictured above) for Upton two years ago, but the slugger had Seattle on his no-trade list. That's reportedly no longer the case.

Walker is a steep price to pay for a rental player, but perhaps rookie left-hander Roenis Elias could kickstart negotiations.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays appear to be bracing for the loss of Cabrera this winter, which leaves a sizable gap offensively in left field. Upton's presence in the AL East would give Toronto arguably the most feared lineup in baseball and would mitigate the combined power loss of Cabrera and Adam Lind. 

Drew Hutchison (pictured below) offers as a fair comparison to Miller, albeit without the previous minor-league hype. If his upside isn't enough to get Atlanta out of bed perhaps left-handed prospect Daniel Norris would. 

Giving up controllable pitching is never easy, but finding a middle-of-the-order bat is more difficult than filling the middle-to-back of a rotation. Attractive supplementary pieces for Atlanta could include newly-acquired second base prospect Devon Travis.

The more challenging task could be convincing Upton to waive his no-trade clause, which reportedly includes Toronto.

Chicago White Sox

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn is making a push to win now, a theory supported by recent free-agent signings Zach Duke and Adam LaRoche. 

Left field has been a black hole of production for the White Sox over the last three seasons. Hahn could potentially entice Atlanta with a package that includes speedy second base prospect Micah Johnson or a young arm like right-hander Erik Johnson. 

With Max Scherzer and James Shields likely on their way out of the AL Central, the White Sox have an opportunity to force their way back into contention. Acquiring Upton would send a strong message they're intent on doing so.