Tigers, Upton agree to 6-year, $132.75M deal
Almost two months after signing Jordan Zimmermann to a nine-figure contract, the Detroit Tigers handed another megadeal to a major free agent, agreeing Monday night to a six-year, $132.75-million contract with outfielder Justin Upton.
The deal contains an opt-out clause after the 2017 campaign, and gives Upton the third-highest annual average value ($22.125 million) among the position players to land contracts through free agency this winter.
By signing the three-time All-Star, the Tigers will forfeit their third selection in the 2016 MLB Draft. Though the club lost their second-round pick, as well, when they signed Zimmermann in November, the Tigers' first pick in the upcoming amateur draft - the ninth overall selection - is protected.
Until news of the deal broke, Upton had been connected to the Tigers only tenuously, especially after general manager Al Avila downplayed the possibility of adding another outfielder following the acquisition of Cameron Maybin. Frankly, no teams were linked all that strongly to Upton, who generated shockingly little buzz this winter despite his impressive resume and relative youth (he turned 28 in August).
Selected first overall in the 2005 draft, Upton has been among the most productive and durable outfielders in baseball since becoming an everyday player with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008, at the age of 20. Over the last eight seasons, Upton ranks 11th among outfielders in wins above replacement (27.1), hitting .273/.354/.477 while averaging 24 homers, 14 stolen bases, and 143 games played per year.
In 2015, his first and only season with the San Diego Padres, Upton managed a .790 OPS with 26 homers and 19 stolen bases in 150 contests, though he also posted the 14th-highest strikeout rate among qualified hitters while managing his lowest adjusted OPS (121 OPS+) since 2012.
| Season | WAR | wRC+ | HR | BB% | K% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2.2 | 109 | 17 | 10% | 19.3% |
| 2013 | 3 | 129 | 27 | 11.7% | 25% |
| 2014 | 4 | 134 | 29 | 9.4% | 26.7% |
| 2015 | 3.6 | 120 | 26 | 11% | 25.6% |
Upton's right-handed power should fit right in with Detroit's already-loaded lineup, too, which finished third in the AL in wRC+ (103) and led the league in batting average (.270) last season despite intermittent injuries to Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez.
With Upton on the payroll, however, the Tigers could exceed the $189-million luxury tax threshold this season, which would impose a 17.5 percent tax on every dollar over the limit. According to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, the Tigers' agreement with Upton also makes them just the second team in history to sign two free agents for at least $100 million apiece in the same offseason.