Overpaying for superstar players has become the norm in major league baseball lately, but the Detroit Tigers made a huge mistake signing outfielder Justin Upton to the big deal they signed him to.
He is one of the most dependable power options in the game, but he doesn’t hit for average and isn’t a great defender. Based on how much he improves the team roster, he’s not worth the money he got.
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Upton will be paid an average salary of over $22 million for the next six seasons. His WAR last season was 4.4, which makes him a vastly overpaid player.
Generally, the going rate for players is about $2-3 million per WAR. If Upton duplicates his performance from last season, he would be making over $5 million per WAR.
Of course, hitting in the same lineup as the likes of Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez and Victor Martinez should help his numbers, but that’s no guarantee. He has been known to be a very streaky hitter.
Detroit needed to upgrade its outfield, but they went about it the wrong way. The team could have given a similar contract to a player who’s already proven himself to the organization: Yoenis Cespedes.
He posted an impressive 6.3 WAR last season, which means he would be earning a more modest $3.5 million a season. Plus, Cespedes’ cannon in the outfield makes him more of a defensive asset.
Perhaps more overlooked is the fact that Cespedes has played for contenders while Upton has rarely done that. Many may not think that matters, but playing for a contender year after year prepares a player to step up in big situations down the stretch.
Based on the way the Tigers have improved their roster this offseason, they figure to be in the race down the stretch. They would have been better equipped to handle that stretch run with Cespedes or someone else rather than Upton, who will make way too much money over the next six years.