The price is not right for Upton

The+Atlanta+Braves+Justin+Upton+tries+in+vain+to+beat+out+a+ground+ball+to+Philadelphia+Phillies+shortstop+Jimmy+Rollins+during+the+first+inning+at+Turner+Field+in+Atlanta%2C+June+17%2C+2014.

The Atlanta Braves’ Justin Upton tries in vain to beat out a ground ball to Philadelphia Phillies’ shortstop Jimmy Rollins during the first inning at Turner Field in Atlanta, June 17, 2014.

With Melky Cabrera reportedly signing a three year deal with the White Sox, the right field options have thinned considerably for the Mariners. This signing may reopen negotiations with the Braves for Justin Upton. However, with the price so high on Upton, the Mariners should probably just look elsewhere to fill their outfield spot.

Ever since the Mariners attempted to make a deal with the Diamondbacks for Upton a few years ago, Taijuan Walker has been a focal point of any potential trade. But now that Upton is entering the final year of his contract and there has been no indication that he would sign an extension, this sort of deal would make no sense for the M’s.

Trading away what could be a cornerstone in your rotation for many years to come for a one-year rental is a boneheaded trade. We have moved on from the Bill Bavasi Era; deals like this should never happen again. Thankfully, the Mariners have stood pat that young arms Walker and James Paxton won’t be moved.

There are a few other options that make much more sense and wouldn’t require the Mariners to trade their best prospects, the two most prominent choices being the White Sox’s Dayan Viciedo and the Rangers’ Alex Rios.

Viciedo has put up good power numbers with the White Sox but his average has lagged behind and he has also been criticized for his defense. With the Mariners wanting to fill the number two spot in the lineup, a Viciedo trade doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Signing Rios seems to be the much better option for the M’s. While his power has seen drastic decline with just four home runs in 2014, he still hit a solid .280 which seems to fit the Mariners’ needs more. He is also a right handed bat, which would help out the still left-hander-heavy lineup of the Mariners even after the Cruz signing.

Since Rios is 34 years old and coming off a relatively down year, the Mariners could swoop in with a two year deal and get him on the cheap. The M’s don’t necessarily need Rios to be a power bat, especially if he is slotted into the number two spot. A .280 average behind Austin Jackson would be a great addition to the offense and would take a lot of pressure off Dustin Ackley, who is projected to be the Mariners’ everyday No. 2 bat.

If the Braves remove Walker and Paxton from negotiations, a deal for Upton would make sense. However, the Braves have given no indication that they will do that. If the Braves are only interested in Walker, the M’s would be much better served just picking up a veteran guy like Rios instead of going after another Erik Bedard-type of trade.

The Cougars failed to take care of the basketball and it led to their demise Saturday in Santa Clara.

WSU fell to 4-6 on the season Saturday night as they lost 76-67 to Santa Clara (5-4). It was a frustrating game for the Cougars as they turned the ball over 13 times, including nine times in the first half, which Santa Clara turned into 12 points.

Head Coach Ernie Kent told Bud Nameck after the game on 920 KXLY that those mistakes can’t happen.

“There are going to be turnovers,” Kent said. “These were unforced. Those are bonehead, unforced turnovers because they shouldn’t happen in a game with a team with the caliber of players we have.”

Sophomore forward Josh Hawkinson led the Cougars offensive output as he scored 16 points and came down with a career-high 16 rebounds. Hawkinson also emerged as one of the Cougars’ best offensive players, netting his fifth double-double of the season.

Sophomore guard Ike Iroegbu continued his stretch of productive performances, leading the Cougars with 18 points while going 7-9 from the field. He also added four assists.

Senior guard DaVonté Lacy struggled as he was held to just nine on a dismal 2-12 shooting performance. He failed to reach double digits in scoring for just the second time this season.

A big reason for the Cougars’ lack of success came from their poor shooting from three-point range. WSU shot a lowly 22 percent from beyond the arc against the Broncos.

“We had shots to be made, and we didn’t shoot the ball very well.” Kent said.

Santa Clara shot 51 percent from the field and were led by their guards, sophomore Jared Brownridge and senior Brandon Clark. Brownridge finished with 25 points and four assists, while Clark scored 19 points on 6-11 shooting.

The Cougars dominated the glass, securing 39 rebounds to Santa Clara’s 22. However, it was again the turnovers that caused WSU to beat themselves. The Cougs shot a respectable 45 percent from the floor, but without Hawkinson and Iroegbu, the team only shot a combined 35 percent.

WSU will go into the holiday break with two games remaining in their non-conference schedule before entering Pac-12 play. The Cougars host San Jose State on the 21st and will see UC Davis come into town the following week on the 28th.

The Cougars will have to win both games in order to enter the Pac-12 season with a .500 record. WSU will tip-off at 4 p.m. on Sunday against the Spartans (2-9). The Pac-12 Networks will carry coverage of the game.