B.J. Upton Rumors: Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals showing interest

Free agent B. J. Upton met with the Philadelphia Phillies last week, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.

Sources: #Phillies met with B.J. Upton earlier this week.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 16, 2012

The center fielder has also spoke with the Washington Nationals, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.

The Nats have talked with free agent B.J. Upton, but unlike the Braves and Phillies have yet to meet with him. wapo.st/UKY5tl

— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) November 16, 2012

Upton also visited the Atlanta Braves last night. He hit .246/.298/.454 with 28 home runs and 31 stolen bases for the Tampa Bay Rays last season. Earlier this month, Upton rejected a one-year, $13.3 million offer from the Rays. He made $7 million in 2012.

One of the biggest things Upton has going for him is his age. Some teams view the 28-year-old as a better long-term investment than his slightly older counterparts such as Michael Bourn, Angel Pagan and Shane Victorino.

There is also always the hope that Upton can get back to the level he was on in 2007. That year, his first full season, Upton hit .300/.386/.508. He's shown plenty of flashes of brilliance since, including when he slugged seven home runs during the 2008 postseason.