Free agency tested patience of Tigers' Upton
The MLB offseason dragged on for Justin Upton.
After remaining tolerant of the market's slow development, the slugger was rewarded with a six-year, $132.75-million deal with the Detroit Tigers on Jan. 18. He discussed Wednesday how stressful playing the waiting game was.
"I had a lot more interesting conversations with my agent Larry (Reynolds) and (Tigers owner) Mike (Ilitch), but at times I did get impatient," Upton explained on MLB Network Radio. "I wanted to know why me and (Yoenis) Cespedes were the guys still out there. I wanted to know what the teams were thinking. There were a few arguments, me having to take some time and be more patient with the process ... I wanted to know why I was still sitting here without a job."
Despite being one of the top players on the open market after hitting .251/.336/.454 with 26 home runs, 81 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases, the 28-year-old watched as other outfielders - including Jason Heyward, Alex Gordon, Denard Span, and Gerardo Parra - all signed multi-year deals before him.
Upton had fielded a different six-year offer to return to the Atlanta Braves and had discussions with the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers, but ultimately decided on the Tigers after Ilitch convinced him.
"I think what sold me mostly is (Ilitch) is a guy that wants to win ballgames, wants to win a championship," the slugger said during his introductory press conference on Jan. 20.
Over his nine-year career, Upton owns a .271/.352/.473 slash line with 190 home runs, 616 RBIs, 115 stolen bases, with a WAR of 26.5.