Los Angeles Angels: Extending Justin Upton was a mistake
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Angels extended Justin Upton after trading for him last August. Although he played well, this extension was a mistake for the Angels.
It must be hard to be the front office of the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels are stuck right in between of playoff contention and rebuilding. Mike Trout, the best player on the planet, is the only one holding the ship afloat from completely stripping everything down and rebuilding. Thus, the Angels look to build around Trout and have done so by extending Justin Upton.
The Halos acquired Upton at the August 31 deadline from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for pitching prospect Grayson Long and a player to be named later. Upton was meant to be the catalyst to push the Angels to the Wild Card Game. At the time, the team was only 1.5 games behind the second Wild Card spot.
Upton didn’t excel as a Halo, but his power numbers were a nice boost to the offense. In 27 games Upton hit .245 with seven home runs and 15 RBIs. However, the Angels floundered after the deal, going 11-17 in the months of September and October; the third worst record in the AL.
With no other viable option to play left field the Angels extended Upton. The two parties agreed to a five-year extension worth $106 million. Although Upton did win a Silver Slugger this season, this extension is nothing but a mistake for the Angels.
There is no problem in the Angels wanting to bring Upton back. The Angels need all the firepower they can get if they want to build a team that can convince Mike Trout from leaving for a contender. Upton, at least for the next 2-3 seasons, helps that process.
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However, five years seems a bit too hefty. The Angels loaded the contract on the tail end, as they are only paying Upton $34 million over the next two seasons. This still gives the team wiggle room to make improvements in the immediate future, which was a smart call by the Angels.
However, they should have just kept the deal for two years then or at least add a team option. Los Angeles is still paying Albert Pujols way too much money. Plus, they only shot themselves in the foot when it comes time to extend Trout. Trout will be an unrestricted free agent in 2021. Upton will make $51 million in 2021-2022.
Plus, at that time, he will be in a very similar situation as Pujols. Pujols was entering his age 32 season when he signed a 10-year, $240 million contract. Upton is entering his age 31 season. While Pujols still slugged 40 home runs at 35, his overall numbers took a huge dive. Upton is nowhere near the level of Pujols and that dive will be amplified.
Next: Three free agent targets for the Angels this offseason
Overall, it seems as if the Angels panicked in resigning Upton and gave him whatever hefty demanded he pleased. While it may make the Los Angeles Angels better for a season or two, it still doesn’t lead them to the World Series promise land. Then, in four years, Angel fans will be scratching their heads yet again at another terrible veteran contract.