Justin Upton

The Texas Rangers have been in the market for an impact bat all offseason. They have been in discussions with the Arizona Diamondbacks regarding Justin Upton for what appears to be months now. As the months go by, Arizona continues to flip-flop on trading Upton.

Will Justin Upton be traded or won't he be traded? That is the question.

With the New Year almost upon us, the Seattle Mariners have yet to truly make the splash that most of the baseball world expected them to this offseason. General manager Jack Zduriencik has been turning over every stone in an effort to find an answer for the lack of offensive production that has plagued the Mariners for years.

The big news this week on the Justin Upton front is that the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a three-year, $26 million deal with Cody Ross (details at ESPN). The addition of Ross could spur the Diamondbacks into moving the 25-year-old outfielder.

After a flurry of trades and moves, the Arizona Diamondbacks find themselves pretty well set for the 2012 season. According to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, Diamondback managing general partner Ken Kendrick is happy with the offseason performance of general manager Kevin Towers, adding "It's not over yet."

It looks like the Arizona Diamondbacks might not be pulling off the big blockbuster trade everyone has been anticipating. According to the Twitter feed of Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, Arizona's general manager Kevin Towers says it is "highly unlikely" the team will deal outfielder Justin Upton.

As the New York Yankees stick to their claim that a reduction of payroll is imminent this year, they must be forced to consider that a trade for Arizona's Justin Upton might put them in the World Series. 

Coming off a disappointing four-game sweep in the 2012 ALCS, the Yankees' loaded lineup showed surprising signs of weakness. 

Hit-or-miss approaches from guys like Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez and even Robinson Cano left New York with alarming strikeout totals and an early ticket home to the Bronx. 

It certainly gets hot in the desert. Right now, things are starting to boil over.

Arizona Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick was featured on Prostopreps.com via telephone interview with Brad Cesmat on Monday. In the interview, he questioned Stephen Drew’s commitment to returning to the field this season and referred to All-Star outfielder Justin Upton as an “enigma.”

In 2011, the Arizona Diamondbacks had their big breakout year. Their right-fielder also had his big breakout year in 2011 and looks poised to build on the season in which he finished 4th in the NL MVP voting. Justin Upton has finally put together the season that Diamondback fans have been waiting for since he was called up to the majors at the ripe age of 19. The 2012 season seems to be shaping into the "perfect storm" for the Dbacks superstar.

While players like Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, and Josh Hamilton are accustomed to winning MVP awards, but it doesn't mean they are the most important players for their team to win.

We all know about team's most valuable players, but who really is the most important player for each team to have a successful season?

Begin Slideshow