The Los Angeles Angels announced that they have given Justin Upton a five-year extension through 2022. Upton (30) is set to make $106 million with his extension as he gets an extra $18 million on top of the $88 million he had remaining on his original deal. The veteran outfielder came over to the Angels late last season when he was traded from the Tigers for prospect Grayson Long.
Upton was brought on by the Angels last year in an attempt to make a late playoff push, but they ultimately fell short. While he had some struggles in Detroit, Upton started to produce again last year and was an All-Star before being traded to the Angels.
The Angels are hoping that a full year with Upton, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout can get them back into a playoff spot in 2018. This deal includes a full no-trade clause.
🚨The #Angels have agreed to terms on a five-year contract with OF Justin Upton. The contract will take Upton through the 2022 campaign🚨 pic.twitter.com/sLT2WYSD34
— Angels (@Angels) November 2, 2017
Upton's numbers
Last year was a redemption year for him after a rough 2016. He only played in 27 games last year with the Angels, but hit seven home runs with a .357 on-base percentage and slugged .531. Overall last year with both Detroit and Los Angeles he slashed .273/.361/.901 with a 5.7 bWAR and career-high 35 home runs in 152 games.
He did strike out a career-high 180 times last year, but he has been a very productive hitter throughout his career while being a typically high strikeout guy. It is also worth mentioning that he is a finalist for a Gold Glove award this year.
Just turning 30 a few months ago, Upton will have a deal until he is 35, which indicates he still has plenty in the tank to be productive.
He may not be the average-hitting kid he was in Arizona anymore, but he can still slug, generate runs, and get on base at a good rate. He can now get comfortable and have a solidified home for a few years since he has bounced around between the Braves, Padres, and Tigers the last three years.
Angles future
While Upton solidifies a good bat in the lineup with Mike Trout, there are still a lot of rough patches.
The lineup does not have a lot of depth and the pitching staff last year was middle of the road with a 4.20 team ERA. Albert Pujols, once the greatest hitter in the world, is old and declining rapidly. The Angles were 80-82 last year while missing Trout for a few months and not having Upton until September, so that gives cause for some hope, but more needs to be done.
There will likely be more moves to come this offseason for the Angels, but it will remain to be seen if they actually are a contender. At the very least they locked up a productive hitter which adds to both the offense and defense.
