I laughed at the announcers when they called adam jones a bj upton prototype. Dont we wish that were true! He could just put his head down, keep his hands inside of his body and start hitting. He clearly has way too much going on in his swing. Bench him until he stops! When jennings gets off the DL I would trade Upton. I wonder if the cardinals would be willing to try to fix him.

Too bad the Rays' player personnel people have never had your very realistic perspective on Upton. In my case ... in all my years ... I don't recall EVER seeing a player so over-rated as Upton ... and I actually believe the team has done the guy a serious disservice by over-hyping him since Day 1. The result has been very unrealistically-high expectations of a very average, run-of-the-mill ball player.

(And ... NO DOUBT ... the difference in the quality of the player pool when there were 16 teams vs. today's 30 teams is astronomical ... in spite of the expansion of the population and youth baseball programs and all the new athletically-related developmental technologies developed over the last 30 or so years!)

The problem is ... who would want an average (or even mediocre) player who's currently making $7 million and is headed to free agency at the end of this season?

If the rumors were true last July ... the Rays made a mistake by NOT trading Upton to the Nats for a solid middle-relief pitcher (and maybe even a prospect or two).

I am so tired of hearing about Upton, i would just as soon trade him so we don't have to keep hearing about him. After 9 years, i think its time to move on. He isn't all that bad of a player, but our expectations for him, the "potential" tag that has followed him, his salary, and the perception, its just too much.

Yeah ... now he's just like some old, worn-out TV commercial that's been playing over-and-over-and-over-again ... to the point where you just off the d*mned TV! (Sort of like the two twitty "Rays Girls" on Sunsports between-innings self-advertisements !!!)

No, they look cute every time. LOL.

Worst voices and inflections in the history of Sunsports TV commercials ... ever ... and they look young enough to be a pedophile's ---dream! They're so bad in fact ... and so opposite to what I could consider conventional on-air talent values ... that the commercials must be the result of some kind of nepotism or some such. If I was the father of either of those two kids ... I would NEVER have allowed those spots to air ... even once ... let alone 20 (or more) times per game! The effort is about as unprofessional as any such effort could possibly be. I automatically switch the channel at the end of every half-inning and during any other commercial breaks in the game's programming.

Whoa! I am sorry if i struck a cord. They used to play a subway commercial that drove me nuts a couple of years back. Also, on the radio i got very sick of that Sweetbay commercial where the guy goes "not the eggs!".

If I do have a "chord to be struck" here ... it's simply one where I've become more and more impatient with the crassness, classlessness and crudity in all elements of the media today ... especially in simple-minded and endlessly repetitive TV commercials.

PLUS ... in this particular case ... my paternal juices boil at the fact that these two girls sound (especially) and look like two underage teenyboppers ... and that the whole thing is nothing but a gratuitous use of ultra-young "femaleness" to "sell" a cable-TV network to, apparently, equally vacuous and clueless young males (and/or potential pedophiles!).

To me ... the commercial itself is debasing to the young girls involved ... and to the network!

Just a note for reference. I checked out some info on the 2 girls in those commercials. Jordana, the brunette is a graduate of Florida Atlantic, and the blonde Annelie is a graduate of Miami Dade College. So they are definitely not underage, and are no different than any other cheerleader. They are part of a campaign for Fox Sports affiliates across the country.

http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/pages/fsflgirls

Nothing wrong with finding them soft on the eyes.

Everyone is forgetting he is still 27 and hasn't even hit his prime.

Well ... I guess it's perception, then. They both sound like 16-year-olds ... and they don't look much older! Plus ... the production quality of the ads seems awful to me. I would have thought that some slightly more mature professional possibly involved in the production of these spots would have recognized that the whole thing is just gratuitous ... amateurish ... and in poor taste. ???

To realize one's prime, one must PROgress!

Drafted 1st by the Rays (2nd overall) in spring, 2002, at 17 years old; made his major league debut at 19, on August 2, 2004, after less than two seasons in the minors ... the youngest player in the major leagues in 2004; originally played 2nd base ... and led the majors in errors at that position. So ... he was switched to centerfield.

His "prime" (at least in terms of performance) was probably in 2007 when he had his "career" year.

Probably a case of "Too much, too soon!" (Which might also end up being the case with Moore.)

Ok let's just get rid of him like we did Josh Hamilton. I am sure that is the smart thing to do.

We have all seen what Upton can do. With a little consistency he becomes a 30/30 player easy with 100 RBIs per year. Yeah that's what we should give up. Offensively, Upton is one of the better CFs. Defensively, he makes hard plays possible.

The prime of most players occurs at the age of 29-31. It is the period where they are most apt physically and mentally. Career years do not always happen during the prime years.

What everyone here is moaning about is consistency. It also bugs me, but it is no reason to let go of a 5 tool player.

Still 27...ok...but lots of guys are about Melvin's age, and they far outshine him. Just think what Kemp, Fielder, Pedroia, Mauer, Braun, Cano, Tulowitzki, et al (each within a year or so of Upton's age) are gonna do when they hit their prime. Apologies and excuses are all that make up Upton's MLB resume'.

Ok, but nearly every player on your list is a yearly all star and all of them except Braun are being paid more than Upton this year, several (Fielder, Mauer, Cano) substantially more. To expect to be able to attract those type of guys that command the kind of money that they do is a pipe dream. Is BJ a little over paid? Sure he is, but he has a 4WAR average over the last five years, which makes him competitive with every player on your list all of whom average 4-5WAR since '07. To expect to just pluck another 4WAR center fielder out of thin air is unrealistic and with the number of outfielders who have spent time on the DL this year it's a darn good thing we didn't trade him.

Look how you had to pick all stars to prove that Upton was not doing enough. Right there you acknowledge Upton is a better than average player. With more work he becomes a potential all star that is a 30/30 guy.

Everyone holds him to a higher level because he started at a young age. Fact is, there is no one within the system that can replace him. The best option is Victorino which would be counter productive. Or we can move Desmond to center full time and sign a left or right fielder power bat. And the quality of corner outfielders was not available last offseason.

True he is a better than average player..Certainly he has a greater trading value than an average player....However finding a team that needs another better than average player who makes 7 mil thats a big problem...And despite all the BJ bashing he has a big chance this year right now to show he is a lot better than average ..Now putting losing him in the same class as Josh Hamilton???That he will develop into that type of power,or even that type of player now thats comical...Not impossible, just comical..seriously,, BJ needs to just get down to a reality..And thats just realize he isn't a Josh Hamilton..Get those base hits,concentrate on the bases,Run out everything and use his natural speed to hustle more than an average player....Most of all, stop reading the potential clippings...He will wind up playing for another team,How much he earns will be based on his efforts not his potential..I would hope he has a great year this year and proves a lot of people wrong,including myself..One last thought ..Potentiality isn't achieved by everyone..Only those that apply the dedication and greater effort along with the natural ability, reach that uncrowded level....