The Angels have placed outfielder Justin Upton on the injured list with a right lumbar strain, per a team announcement. In a corresponding move, fellow outfielder Kean Wong has been recalled.
This will be the second stint on the injured list for Upton this year, after missing almost a month with a low back strain earlier in the season. He’s only played in three games over the past couple weeks, perhaps because of this injury, but also because the Angels are out of contention and have been increasingly using playing time to audition youngsters such as Brandon Marsh and Jo Adell.
Upton still has one season remaining on the five-year deal he signed with the club back in November of 2017. The 34-year-old will be making $28MM next year. The first year of the deal went well, as Upton slashed .257/.344/.463, for a wRC+ of 121 in 2018. But the three subsequent seasons have all been disappointing, with a collective slash line of .211/.296/.409 and a wRC+ of 93.
Because of the remaining playing time going to those younger players, the club can let Upton focus on getting healthy and hopefully finding some of his former, more-productive form in the last year of his deal.
Good grief Charlie Brown, only 1 more year on this bad contract. Some good years with ARI & ATL but a bust in LAA
I feel bad, but everyone saw this coming.
I didn’t see this year coming. Not after his September when for a month he was fantastic.
I understood why people thought it was coming, I just didn’t agree with them.
He’s a modern day mike Hampton.
I don’t feel too bad VP, $77 mil so far & $28 mil due next year. for a 75 hr & 203 rbi & .232 BA in 4 years. Pretty anemic.
yeah, curly was smart. compared to you!
@aragon, Explain yourself, if you can’t then go play with the children. If you can, I’m willing to listen.
i don’t play with trolls.
He signed a one year extension with the Angels for 8 million dollars
The one year extension was not a bad signing, it just didn’t work out.
I’m not too upset with an outfield of Adell, Trout, Marsh and Upton. Is any Angel fan?
Nope! Fine with it.
The Angels have a huge logjam in the outfield next season. I’m sure they’d just love to be rid of Upton.
Then release him. They’re stuck paying him, but why play him? Teams get confused about sunk costs.
Moreno isn’t and knows exactly what draws fans to the ballpark and stay profitable. The Angels feign contention but aren’t really vying for a WS title. They haven’t signed a SP to a long-term deal in forever. Just a different business model.
Because that log-jam is wishful thinking at this date.
To illustrate: ’21 Angels’ OF with most WAR as of 9/5/21? Mike Trout.
I don’t follow other teams as much as the Angels, but what starting outfield would not swap theirs for the Angels? Not many I would imagine.
However, Upton as a 4th outfielder provides some nice insurance. I’m not bummed the Angels extended him. As someone noted, If it works out to eight million, they are getting next year at a substantial discount.
The ’21 Angels OF ranks 27th in OBP, SLG, OPS. wRC+ and fWAR, and that’s with Trout’s performance.
I’m an Angels fan for life. I want Adell and Marsh to be everything they’ve been projected to be. Getting all of these ABs in September is great for their development. Neither have performed at a level (yet) in the majors that would lead a team attempting to contend to hand them starting jobs.
I hope hope hope they do, but until then like I said, wishful thinking.
Liking the Angels 4 OF’s next year to. You have upton in a perfect world getting half his AB’s in a normal season. Between once a week at DH and against a tough lefty for Marsh, then steal a one here and there for Adell. Then Upton will see plenty of AB’s. We’re good
Upton still has the power he has shown throughout his career,, 17 HR in 89 games. His other number are trending the wrong way, i.e. batting average and strike out rate. . He is also a defensive liability at this point. It really doesn’t make sense to release him since you are going to have to pay him regardless and there is no guarantee of health of our other outfielders. He can still fill in and PH when needed. Defensively, an outfield of Adell, Trout, and Marsh looks amazing. The speed of those 3 are going to save the Angels some runs. Adell and Marsh have yet to show what they can do offensively, but we have seen glimpses of potential.
He went from good to horrible and nowhere in-between faster than any 300 HR hitter I can remember.
Has any team given more bad longterm contracts in the last 15 years than the Angels?
Was thinking the same thing. Most all long-term mega contracts end up being a massive drag on the team. However the Angels seem to be especially prone to getting next to no value out of them.
This is the truest statement on the thread. And they’ve done so across multiple GMs / with Arte being the common denominator.
Not letting Upton off the hook for what will end up being another in a long line of terrible contracts in the hopes of helping out Trout, but injuries have been the biggest issue for him here.
He has always been a streaky hitter, with huge peaks and valleys in even his best seasons. Hard to have too many peaks in a season when you’re hardly playing. I was a fan of the signing at the time, as I thought he would be a good complementary piece at only a slight overpay, and the Angels signed him early, which I thought was a plus. The market reset that offseason, though, with players like Upton affected the most, so what started as a slight overpay became much more.
Unfortunately, unless the Angels win it all next year and Upton plays a role, this contract will be a complete failure. It’s more likely Upton doesn’t even play for the Angels next year than the Angels actually winning anything. So, this contract will be a complete failure.
Two clueless posts. Like Wells, the Angels didn’t give him a long term contract. They traded for him AFTER the trade deadline, obviously he cleared waivers. They extended him one year at a much lower AAV.
You come on these threads about other teams you don’t know and write ignorant things.
that just describes all trolls!
@aragon, you have left 2 baseless & stupid posts on this thread. Go someplace else & try to act intelligent. Even though you won’t succeed, maybe you can play with a pile playdough. Just don’t eat it, or maybe you should.
No need to be rude, sport! Technically, Upton opted out of his original contract to sign a different, new contract that added new terms such as a no-trade clause. You could look at it either way, but the truth is it was a new contract.
And I’ve followed the Angels for over thirty years and know their successes and failures quite well, kid! Just because I’m not a die-hard fan of theirs any longer doesn’t mean I don’t know this organization inside and out!
30 years? that must be a long time for kids!
You come on a thread about an Angel s and you don’t know anything about the subject. I don’t go on Padres thread and write ignorant trash.
If I went to a Padres thread and wrote trash, which I would never do, I’d at least do a little research.
I noticed that you didn’t actually refute the facts I put about Upton’s contract, because you know I’m right!
These kinds of contracts are more marketing than substance. Trade for and then sign a known name so MLB Network and ESPN mention the Angels in the off-season. Yes he’s only 34, but he’s been playing in the MLB since he was 20. He’s got more mileage than the avg 34 year old and it’s showing.
This trade was in late August. It was not a marketing move, it was a move to help the Angels make the playoffs, He had a 136 OPS+ but the Angels couldn’t close the gap.
He said the contract was a marketing move, not the trade. They should have never extended him.
The contract was not a marketing move. It was a one year extension to lower the AAV. Someone says it works out to an extra 8 million. If that is so, with Trout, Adell and Walsh being the starters, for a 4th outfielder, I’m not even sure it’s a bad extension.
But that isn’t what it is, and you know it isn’t, and you’re still pushing this even though it’s not accurate. He opted out of his original contract to resign this new one; he was obviously going to opt out of his contract regardless, but the Angels offered him this different contract with new terms to keep him. So what the Angels signed him to was, for all intent and purposes, new money. Viewed in that more honest, accurate light, it is a long-term contract, and a bad one at that. A simple Google search will tell you all of this, I don’t get what is so hard for you to understand about this.
Upton had $88M/4 remaining, and the Angels replaced that with $106M/5, basically adding one year for $18M in order for him not to leave.
The problem was Eppler panicked. Where was Upton going? Detroit traded him for almost nothing, and San Diego had already unloaded him the year before. Teams were not lined up to give Upton a four-year deal, let alone a fifth year and a no-trade provision.
JoeBrady, Upton had 4 years 106 million left on his contract. They added a fifth year that made the contract 114 million. The extra year was incentive not to use his opt out he had. The Angels in 2015 and 2016 and for most of 2017, had the lowest production from their left fielders each and every season. Other than Trumbo and Hamilton, the Angels had ranked at the bottom of the league each season since 2009 in production from left field. 2009 was the first season since 1994 the Garrett Anderson wasn’t a fixture in left field for the Angels.
Padres, I take it back, your post wasn’t a troll post. The other, shorter post was. I get so tired of trolls. But again, I’d never go on a Padres thread and talk about their team or management.
But like Wells, it was a bad trade. Not nearly as bad because Upton was not expected to be hurt, Wells had no chance, and unlike Wells, we didn’t give up anything for Upton.
That Damned Dipoto. He sabotaged the Angels. Uptown was such a terrible signing… that was Dipoto right?
No– it was Eppler. He traded for him from Detroit, and he had an opt-out clause. Eppler panicked and not only agreed to pay the remaining years , but gave him an extra year and a no-trade clause. They’ve been locked into this guy and now are on the hook for another $28M– that money would get them Scherzer. Horrible, horrible signing. The Angels were not close to winning a championship.
If by “panicked” you mean “worked with Upton and his representation to on a new deal, adding a year and eliminating the previous deal’s opt-out, in order to keep Upton in an Angels uniform. On purpose.”
“ that money would get them Scherzer. ”
Money not already allocated to other players can be/is usually used to sign free agents.
Blaming the last year of Upton’s deal for missing out on Free Agent X is the Front Office’s job. The Angels as an organization have the money. Problem is Arte doesn’t love making the play-offs more than he hates the idea of paying the Luxury tax.
The Angels benefit from a $3 billion /20 year tv deal – they can afford Scherzer AND Upton and everyone else on the current roster. Arte just doesn’t care
I’ve said before, I never understood the hype over Upton. He is an averge player with a few bright spots. Career average is average at .262 with a career .814 OPS. His OPS in the last 3 seasons was just over .700 with a total OPS with the Angels of .764. His career fielding % is .975, 11points below league average. Hope he gets better and helps the club next year as he was expected to do when he was signed.
Upton had an .828 OPS when the Angels acquired him (League Average over that span .732) 121 OPS+ Streaky but good for .25-30 2b, 25-30 HR, 15-20 SB. Also, was a few months younger than Mike Trout is right now when the Angels acquired him. He was a pretty darn good player, snakebit by injuries. Here’s hoping he can get healthy and contribute.
I think streaky is the best discription of him. Many of his numbers are average at best as I pointed out. I would say his defense is average to below average. If healthy, maybe he’s an average to slightly above average outfielder, but not worth anywhere near what we are paying him, understanding that he was a better player prior to the Angels contract. He’s a good example of why I like incentive based contracts for all players.
“Many of his numbers are average at best as I pointed out.”
Point of order: didn’t actually provide any data, just made the claim.
Also, defining
-Career average (Upton is 8 points above average, 12 points above average leading up to Angels acquisition),
-Career OPS (Upton is 79 points above average, 97 points above average leading up to Angels acquisition),
-Strange cherry-picking of his OPS of the last 3 years (if you’re trying to illustrate how you never understood “the hype”, I don’t follow how this applies or does anything other than illustrate what we already know: he has been hurt and underperformed)
-Total Angels OPS (24 points above average across that span)
-Fielding percentage
As “many” is a bit of an overstatement. Also, you’re wrong about most of ’em.
Fun quick counting stats: from Upton’s rookie year to today he is
8th in HR
8th in R
“If healthy, maybe he’s an average to slightly above average outfielder”
As I don’t trust your gauge on what those mean, guess we’ll have to wait and see.
“not worth anywhere near what we are paying him”
You and I are both in luck: we aren’t paying him.
“He’s a good example of why I like incentive based contracts for all players.:
Just out of curiosity, would these theoretical contracts begin a player’s rookie year, or would the player have to go through the current system, with the incentive-based contracts replacing free-agency?
‘
The Angels will buy Upton out or say goodbye– his offense is way below average. His base running is bad. His defense is really bad. They have to pay the money either way, so they might as well cut him loose and choose someone who gives them more consistent production and good defense– and I think they will.
Upton’s contract doesn’t have a buy-out option for the ‘22 season.
“They have to pay the money either way, so they might as well cut him loose”
His presence on the roster isn’t blocking anyone when he’s healthy, nor is he blocking anyone from the IL where he’s unfortunately spent a lot of time. The team’s ‘22 outfield is far from settled. Cutting Upton loose, picking up the whatever team he catches on with, seems like a premature call.
I don’t think you understood what I said. I said UPTON had the opt-out under Eppler the year we traded for him. Eppler gave him an extra year to stay, and Eppler threw in the no-trade clause that prevented us from trading Upton. I agree that the outfield is unsettled for next year– far from settled. I believe Marsh will be ready to man one spot, most likely left field., but the team needs to sign or trade for a right fielder. I believe Adell still needs another half-season to develop at triple-A. They cannot absorb Adell and Marsh in the outfield to start the season. As for letting Upton go… if he is not performing, and he’s not– his numbers are horrific and he’s always hurt. The concept is that you are only compounding the problem by keeping him on the roster when others much less expensive can contribute much more. If Upton had three more years and was hitting .160 would you still run him out there? No, you wouldn’t– and that’s where we are at– we’re just talking about one-year. The truth is that he was out injured all of last year, and at least half of this season. Do you think it will be better next year when he’s a year older? He’ll wind up hurt and ineffective, so why plan to use him when we already know he can’t hold up the entire year? They just need to add a league average offensive player who can play defense, I think that’s the direction the Angels will go. If Minnassian had the stones to release Pujols, he certainly can muster the courage to let Upton go.
I guess I’ll just quote you to make this clearer.
“The Angels will buy Upton out”
There is nothing in Upton’s contract that gives the Angels the ability to do this.
“I agree that the outfield is unsettled for next year– far from settled.”
Great! An agreement!
” They cannot absorb Adell and Marsh in the outfield to start the season.”
I am currently of the same opinion.
“The concept is that you are only compounding the problem by keeping him on the roster when others much less expensive can contribute much more.”
And until these “others” become actual players in Angel uniforms, this concept is purely theoretical, rendering an outright release of Upton both premature, as well as useless as a cost-saving move.
“If Upton had three more years and was hitting .160 would you still run him out there?”
If I was presented with a completely invented situation where Justin Upton was given two additional arbitrary years on his contract and was hitting 44 points below the lowest average he’s posted in his career, would I react differently than how I would react to the actual, much different real life situation? Probably. What does that illustrate?
” and that’s where we are at”
No it isn’t.
“we’re just talking about one-year.”
So you’re aware that that’s not “where we are at.” Good.
“The truth is that he was out injured all of last year”
He played in 44 games of last year’s pandemic-shortened season.
“at least half of this season.”
Started 62 of the team’s first 73 games (14 HR, 10 2B, .816 OPS [familiar production]). Has played hurt/been shelved the last two month. Which is to say a healthy Justin Upton performs pretty much the way a healthy Justin Upton always has.
“Do you think it will be better next year when he’s a year older?”
Better than the performance you made up? Given the 6 months to recover from a lumbar strain, don’t see why it wouldn’t be.
“He’ll wind up hurt and ineffective”
Ah, at least that’s settled, doctor.
“so why plan to use him”
Because he’s proven that he remains an above average, productive hitter when healthy, which on most teams, especially ones with the Angels current outfield situation, would be considered an asset.
“we already know he can’t hold up the entire year?”
Fun part: we don’t know that.
“They just need to add a league average offensive player who can play defense”
So a signing that has nothing to do with Justin Upton.
“If Minnassian had the stones to release Pujols”
You are dreaming if you think Perry had any part of that decision.
“he certainly can muster the courage to let Upton go.”
Which is still premature and still solves 0 problems.
You’re a funny guy. You seem to be looking for an argument like a few other guys on this site instead of just talking baseball. I don’t know what you do for a living, but I can tell you the Angels absolutely can buy Upton out of his contract if he agrees. It goes something like this… Justin, we’ve decided to go with a youth movement, and you are going to be our 4th outfielder– you will only play once or twice a week at most. Or you can discount the $28M we owe you to $20M and we will part company now and you are free to sign where you’d like, and likely make up a good portion of the $8M, or all of it if you think someone will employ you full time. That absolutely could happen. Are you knew to baseball? All arguments are based on conjecture. How can any of us know exactly what the Angels are planning? I don’t believe Justin Upton will be their starting left fielder next year. No way will he be starting. Whether they release him, or get him to waive his no trade and move him while picking up $20M of his last year, or if he agrees to a buyout– he will not be there. If they let Pujols go, who I would argue was more valuable, more productive, and an icon who will be a first ballot Hall of Famer, why is it stretching to assume management views Upton in the same light? If he’s a horrible player now– and he is… what exactly does the team gain by letting him play? They will have to pay him either way, so why hurt your team? Let him go and put someone in there that is league average.
” You seem to be looking for an argument like a few other guys on this site instead of just talking baseball.”
Disagreeing and discussing those disagreements is a part of talking baseball.
“I don’t know what you do for a living, but I can tell you the Angels absolutely can buy Upton out of his contract if he agrees.”
I don’t understand what my job has to do with you being able to tell me this, It’s also not true. But I’ll indulge you.
“Justin, we’ve decided to go with a youth movement, and you are going to be our 4th outfielder– you will only play once or twice a week at most.”
The Angels’ goal in this hypothetical is to pay Justin Upton less than the $28 million owed to him, right? Insulting Upton right off the bat by demoting him…seems cointerintuitive.
” Or you can discount the $28M we owe you to $20M and we will part company now ”
Upton: “first you demote me. then reveal what you really want to do: release me. But at an $8 million discount. There are literally 0 reasons for me to agree to that.
“you are free to sign where you’d like, and likely make up a good portion of the $8M, or all of it if you think someone will employ you full time.”
Upton: Or I do nothing and you either pay your 4th outfielder $28 million, or you release me and pay me $28 million, at which point I can sign wherever I like with $0 to make up. Not to mention attempting to renegotiate my contract without going through my agent/without my agent present is super shady and likely illegal. This is going well, I think.
“That absolutely could happen.”
No it couldn’t. Also, no it wouldn’t
“Are you knew to baseball?”
Nope. Neither are you, I’m guessing. Given your grasp of it, that is surprising.
” All arguments are based on conjecture.”
You should make a bumper sticker that says this.
“How can any of us know exactly what the Angels are planning?”
We can’t, but we can know what the Angels are allowed/not allowed to do, and can weigh the relative merits of the various possibilities. Which is what I thought we were doing.
” I don’t believe Justin Upton will be their starting left fielder next year.”
Cool.
“. Whether they release him”
Totally possible
“or get him to waive his no trade and move him while picking up $20M of his last year”
The old “picking up too much money to be a salary dump, and also won’t likely net much of value in return” trade. Totally possible, but not all that wise.
“or if he agrees to a buyout”
Not possible. Upton would have 0 incentive to agree to one even if it were possible.
” If they let Pujols go, who I would argue was more valuable, more productive,”
As Angel teammates (Sep 1 2017-May 4 2021)
Pujols 1296 AB 135 R 314 H 54 2b 55 HR 212 RBI .242. .310 .411 -1.9 bWAR
Upton: 1087 AB 166 R 258 H 39 2B 63 HR 174 RBI .237 .313 .436 5.3 bWAR
Over the span of Pujols’ Angel contract (2012-2021)
Pujols: 4778 AB 578 R 1223 H 217 2B 1 3B 233 HR 819 RBI 32 SB .256 .311 .448 180 GDP 108 OPS+ 12.8 bWAR
Upton 4564 AB 725 R 1164 H 226 2B 14 3B 233 HR 704 RBI 89 SB .255 .336 .464 117 OPS+ 21.4 bWAR
“why is it stretching to assume management views Upton in the same light?”
Apart from the 10 year age difference, difference in production, position, injury history, contract, prognosis, and the fact that you appear to be the only one drawing a connection between the two players, which appears to consist of “Pujols was released, I want them to release Upton”?
” If he’s a horrible player now– and he is…”
He’s not.
what exactly does the team gain by letting him play?”
Gawd, guess I gotta repeat : “Because he’s proven that he remains an above average, productive hitter when healthy, which on most teams, especially ones with the Angels current outfield situation, would be considered an asset.”
” They will have to pay him either way”
So assessing Upton over the winter/in Spring Training before making a decision costs the Angels 0 additional dollars, and hurts nothing, you say? Read my mind.
“put someone in there that is league average.”
Angels would have to first acquire that “someone: which can be done regardless of Upton’s status.
U make some good point’s, but let’s be real. Upton isn’t going anywhere unless the Angels are out of contention next year. No trade clause, why would he? Especially because I feel the Angels at minimum next year will be in contention for a Wild card minimum late in the year.
Upton is not going to be cut. It makes absolutely no sense right now given the Angel injury situation or the promotion of 2 talented but unproven prospects. I do think the Angels plan to enter next season with Adell and Marsh in the corner outfield spots. I still see Upton getting plenty of at bats as a 4th outfielder.. I also believe the Angels may play him at 1B a bit against some lefties, whom Walsh struggles against.
This is not football. Angels are on the hook for the entire 28m. Upton either has to be released (still gets paid the 28m) or traded. He can waive any no trade clause if he elects to. If there is a trade he still gets paid the 28m by the Angels unless the trading team agrees to take over all or part of the contract. Its very common to see the former team picking up some future money owed to the player traded. Strongly suspect in baseball the only way a “buyout” would be allowed is if the player were to retire while still under contract. This would probably not be termed a buyout but a bonus as the payments to the player are to stop the day he retires unless he has a deferred money deal. The bonus would be more of a gift to leave rather than a buyout.
Retired players rights still belong to the players last team unless the contract is expired. It’s probably happened where a player walks on his team before or during the last year of a contract then decided to come out of retirement the following season. Can’t think of a good example of a known player doing it though.
@RJNarvick Chris Davis retired recently with a couple years left on his deal. Based on what I have read he was going to get paid the entirety of his contract during his retirement
There is no way upton takes just 20 of the 28m owed to him. Union wouldnt allow it even if he was a really really nice guy to the Angels.
I thought the only incentives allowed in a contract was playing time. Innings/ abs. Is that right?
@not alkaline You can get an incentive clause for pretty much anything, being an All Star, being a MVP, or even something like maintaining a certain weight if the player has weight issues.
Wong over Thaiss and Rojas.. uh
I wouldn’t recommend this, but I can foresee a Upton/Marsh platoon in LF, Trout in CF and Adell in RF.
Upton needs to be DFA’d.
The Angels have been mediocre and a laughingstock the past 7 years.
We are wasting the best years of the 2 best players in the history of MLB.
We need to trade Mike Trout and Ohtani for MLB ready Top prospects.
I love those guys but I want a championship team.
#MakeAngelsGreatAgain
“We are wasting the best years of the 2 best players in the history of MLB.”
“I want a championship team.”
“We need to trade Mike Trout and Ohtani”
“”I want a championship team.””
“We need to trade [the 2 best players in the history of MLB] for MLB ready Top prospects”
“I want a championship team”
“Mike Trout and Ohtani for MLB-Ready Top Prospects”
“championship team”
“Trade Mike Trout and Ohtani”
Oh, what I meant to say is this is bananas.
Don’t worry about Upton, for-get-about-it! He’s not the end all for next year being the 3rd/4th OF/ DH once a week. The hitting will be fine.
If this team goes deep in the playoffs the next couple years. It’s all about better pitching. Front and back end. End of story! That said, the right pieces it can.