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The Blue Jays’s newest outfielder, Melvin Upton Jr., takes batting practice before a game against the San Diego Padres at the Rogers Centre on July 26, 2016.sNick Turchiaro

Monday night Melvin Upton Jr. was a member in good standing with the San Diego Padres, who just happened to be kicking off a three-game series in Toronto against the Blue Jays.

Over the next 12 hours, Upton learned he had been dealt from the fourth-placed National League West team, where the postseason is all but a pipe dream, to the Blue Jays, who are in the thick of the battle for first place in the American League East.

But before he could cross the diamond at Rogers Centre on Tuesday and take a seat in the home dugout for the first time, he had to take a quick drive down the highway to cross into the United States at Queenston, N.Y.

"I guess I had to get a working visa," the still-shell-shocked outfielder explained to reporters just after he returned from his cross-border round trip and was preparing for the game against his old mates. "About an hour-and-a-half ride there, sat at border patrol for a little while, jumped in the car and came back. But it all went pretty smoothly."

Upton, who will turn 32 next month and has the reed-thin build of a world-class runner, can only hope the rest of his time in Toronto, for however long it may be, will be a little bit less hectic than his first day at the office.

"This is all where it started, in this division," said Upton, who first broke into Major League Baseball in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Rays. "I definitely know the cities, and it's a tough division. But this is a really good ball club all around. It's definitely not uncomfortable, and I'm definitely looking forward to it."

With the MLB trade deadline less than a week away and keen observers anticipating that the Blue Jays would try to bolster the roster by adding a starting pitcher, general manager Ross Atkins crossed people up by nabbing an outfielder.

And he still may try for that pitcher.

In the meantime, the deal for Upton, whose stalled career has been on the upswing since arriving in San Diego last season, was just too good to pass up.

A proven defender in the outfield with base-stealing speed and dangerous pop in the bat – he's hitting .256 this season with 45 runs batted in, 16 home runs and 23 stolen bases – the asking price was surprisingly low.

All Toronto had to give up was Hansel Rodriguez, a 19-year-old pitcher who signed with the Blue Jays as an international free agent in 2014; he was playing rookie-level ball at the time of the trade.

The loss of Rodriguez hardly depletes the precious minor-league ranks that were tapped heavily last season when former Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos positioned the Blue Jays for their successful push into the postseason with a series of deft megatrades.

Better yet, the Padres were so intent on cutting costs that they reportedly agreed to pick up about $17-million (U.S.) of the $22-million that Upton is still owed on the remainder of his contract, which runs through 2017.

Atkins would not comment on the financial aspects of the trade, but he was clearly delighted by the result.

"It just got to the point where the acquisition cost was right," said Atkins, who said he had been pursuing a deal for a fourth outfielder since last month, when Jose Bautista injured his toe.

"The defence at all three [outfield] positions, speed, base running, base stealer, power, versatility and depth," Atkins said when asked what attracted the Blue Jays to Upton in the first place.

Also, with outfielders Bautista and Michael Saunders heading into free agency after this season, having Upton around for at least another year will guarantee that one of those potential roster holes will be easy to fill.

Toronto manager John Gibbons said for the time being he will use Upton in a secondary role in the outfield, primarily against left-handed pitching, which he handles very well.

That will ultimately cut into the playing time of first baseman Justin Smoak, Gibbons said.

Upton said he's open to having his role altered to that of a part-time player.

"You know what, man? I'm here to help this team win," he said. "And whatever capacity I might be in, I'm ready for it."

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