In a surprise post-deadline move, the detroit tigers have traded Justin Upton to the los angeles angels of Anaheim. The 30-year-old outfielder Upton has been a well above average slugger this year, slashing .279/.362/.542 with 28 home runs and 94 RBI through 125 games with Detroit. The Angels are hoping that this will boost their playoff hopes in their hunt for a wild card spot.
The Trade
The Angels will be sending prospect Grayson Long and a player to be named later along with cash to cover part of this year's salary. In return, they will receive a star outfielder having a great offensive year and an above average defensive one.
Per Jon Morosi of Fox, the Angels were not on Upton's no trade-clause.This deal comes off of the earlier trade where the Tigers sent their other dangerous outfielder, J.D. Martinez, to the Arizona Diamondbacks before the deadline in July. With another key piece moved, the Tigers appear to be in a rapid deconstruction of their team in a strong effort to rebuild for the future. They are likely to use the freed up salary to save money for when they decide that the time is right to go for it again. In the meantime, the team still has the mega-contracts of Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera on their books, meaning that a full rebuild may not be taking place for at least a little longer. One thing is for certain: the Upton deal is part of the greater trend to move in a different direction to reset.
Angels In the Hunt
The Angels are currently just a game out of the second wild card spot, held by the Minnesota Twins, another surprise contender this season. After fairing well without Mike Trout for a good portion of the season when he was down with a thumb injury, they have surged of late to keep themselves very much in the thick of things.
They clearly are hoping that Upton's veteran bat can get them over the hump.
Looking beyond this year, Upton's contract has him signed thru 2021, though he has an opt-out clause at the end of this season, meaning he'd be free to pursue free agency and surrender the guaranteed money. However, given the size of his contract which he signed with Detroit just a couple of years ago for 6 yrs and $132.75 Million, and the lackluster market for slugger salaries that was on display last off season, it is likely that Upton will stick with his current deal. If he does, the Angels will get a very good outfielder for a few more years, one who can pair nicely with perhaps the best player in baseball in Mike Trout.
