Justin Upton STILL could get traded, Braves “made strong overtures” for Upton earlier in the offseason,

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal

Why Justin Upton STILL could get traded. Story with @jonmorosi.http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/arizona-diamondbacks-OF-justin-upton-still-subject-of-trade-talks-mariners-rangers-braves-010313 … #DBacks #Mariners #Rangers#Braves

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Diamondbacks may still trade Upton

At least three teams — the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves — have expressed strong interest in OF Justin Upton, according to major-league sources.

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The Braves “made strong overtures” for Upton earlier in the offseason, one source said, but came away thinking that the Diamondbacks were not motivated to move him.

The Rangers thought they were close to a trade for Upton at the winter meetings, but remain unwilling to meet the Diamondbacks’ price of either shortstop Elvis Andrus or shortstop Jurickson Profar. The team, sources say, would prefer to structure a deal around third baseman Mike Olt.

The D-backs still could keep both Kubel and Upton, playing them in right and left field, respectively. Ross then would play mostly in center, Gerardo Parra and Adam Eaton would be the extra outfielders and A.J. Pollock would return to the minors.

Such an alignment would require the D-Backs to open the season with approximately a $95 million payroll, according to the Arizona Republic — a jump from $74.2 million last Opening Day after the team’s average attendance increased by less than 1,000, going from 25,992 in 2011 to 26,884 in ’12.