Braves and Padres Complete Six-Player Trade

ATLANTA, Ga. - The Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres completed a six-player trade today, as the Braves have acquired left-handed pitcher Max Fried, infielder Jace Peterson, outfielder Mallex Smith, infielder Dustin Peterson and the Padres' fourth international bonus pool slot, in exchange for outfielder Justin Upton and right-handed pitcher Aaron Northcraft.

"We appreciate everything Justin Upton did for us in his two seasons in Atlanta," said John Hart, Braves president of baseball operations. "With this trade we were able to get back four quality players and some international bonus money, which is extremely important to our international scouting efforts. This move will help build our organization for the long-term."

Fried, 21, was the Padres' first selection (seventh overall) in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) High School. The 6-foot-4, 170-pound lefty was rated by Baseball America as the top left-handed pitcher among all players in the 2012 draft class and has been ranked by Baseball America in the Padres top 10 prospect list the last two seasons, including entering the 2014 season as San Diego's third-best prospect.

In 2014, Fried made five appearances (all starts) totaling 10.2 innings between Peoria (R) and Fort Wayne (A) prior to undergoing "Tommy John" surgery in August. The 2013 season marked Fried's first full season, when he made 23 starts with Fort Wayne, going 6-7 with a 3.49 ERA. Fried's overall career record stands at 6-9 with a 3.61 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 147 innings spanning 38 appearances (37 games started).

Jace Peterson, 24, appeared in 27 Major League games (18 starts) in 2014 and split time between second base and third base. The left-hander hit .307 between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso last season. Entering 2014, Peterson was ranked as the seventh-best prospect in the Padres organization by Baseball America. The infielder has batted .287 over four minor league seasons while primarily playing shortstop. Peterson, a standout baseball player and defensive back on the McNeese State University (La.) football team, was named the "Best Athlete" in the Padres organization by Baseball America in 2012. Peterson was drafted by the Padres in the supplemental round (58^th overall) of the 2011 draft.

Smith, a 2012 fifth-round draft selection by San Diego out of Santa Fe (Fla.) College, completed his third season with the Padres organization in 2014. He batted .310 (148-for-477) with 29 doubles, seven triples and 99 runs scored in 120 games between Fort Wayne (A) and Lake Elsinore (High-A). The speedy outfielder led all of Class-A with a career-high 88 stolen bases, while ranking 13^th with a .403 on-base percentage. Entering the 2014 campaign, Smith was rated by Baseball America as the "Fastest Baserunner" in the Padres farm system. The 5-foot-9, 155-pound outfielder owns a .290 career batting average with 48 doubles, 169 stolen bases and a .383 on-base percentage over 265 minor league games.

Dustin Peterson, 20, batted .233 with 10 home runs, 39 doubles and 79 RBI over 126 games with Single-A Fort Wayne last season. Over two minor league seasons, the third baseman owns a .247 batting average with 10 home runs and 97 RBI. Peterson was drafted by the Padres in the second round of the 2013 draft out of Gilbert (Ariz.) High School.