Jays on verge of acquiring OF Melvin Upton from Padres: Report

Outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. is on his way to the Blue Jays, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reporting that the deal will be "likely finalized" Tuesday and involves a farmhand going the other way.

Upton is in Toronto with his San Diego Padres teammates in the middle of a three-game series that continues Tuesday night at the Rogers Centre. He doesn't represent the pitching help that most observers figure the Jays are on the hunt for ahead of this weekend's trade deadline, but would upgrade their outfield defence, likely taking over from Jose Bautista as the primary right fielder and adding a bit of speed to the bottom half of the batting order. As a player under contract through next season he would be something of an insurance policy, too, with Jose Bautista, fellow outfielder Michael Saunders and first baseman/DH Edwin Encarnacion eligible for free agency.

Upton has hit 16 home runs and stolen 20 bases for the National League club this season, his second in San Diego and something of a rebound after earlier service in Atlanta and Tampa Bay. For his 12-year career he's a .245 hitter with 160 homers and 293 stolen bases.