Honestly, I don't get some of you guys. Does Upton have limitations? Sure. All players do. Is there a possible downside to raiding the system and losing alot of depth as a result of any theoretical trade? Absolutely. Was last season concerning? To some it was, but to me I saw a kid who experienced a shoulder injury from which there is a high likelyhood of recovering from and who is a former first overall draft pick just one year removed from being a 21 year-old all-star who put up big numbers at his position when most kids his age don't even see big-league pitching, and who don't have his already substantial levels of experience in the majors.
Is there a risk inherent in this type of deal? Of course. But you guys are always preaching that the Leafs take risks in order to accumulate elite talent and how depth is not as important as upper-echelon players. I agree with that philosophy as well. So why is it now that the Jays have a prime opportunity to nab one of the brightest young stars in the game there is so much wavering about the deal? You pay whatever you can to get talents that are so young with so high a ceiling, especially when they are in your control for five seasons. The Jays are not the Yankees or Red Sox: we cannot go out tomorrow and spend $150 million on free agents and expect to be financially sound. There just isn't the clout for it, so deals like this are the way to go, risk in all. It's the surest path towards contention. We have to be smart and we have to make attempts at these deals when they come along.