Angels Outfielder Designated For Assignment

The Los Angeles Angels have designated Justin Upton for assignment.

If a team decides to claim Upton, they will need to take on his large $28 million contract. Due to this, it is rather unlikely that a team will do this. If every other team decides to pass on him, the 34-year-old outfielder will become a free agent. If this does in fact happen, this is where other teams will likely pursue him.

Upton is coming off of a rough 2021 season, as he had 17 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a low .211 batting average. During the two campaigns before it, he also struggled to hit for contact, as he had a .204 and .215 batting average respectively. With that, he had a combined 228 strikeouts in just 194 games during that stretch. Thus, it ultimately does make sense for the Angels to elect to save money by ridding of his contract.

Yet, Upton's vast experience and previous success should certainly make another club give him a chance. In 1,828 career games between the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, and Angels, he has 324 home runs, 1,000 RBIs, and a .262 batting average. With that, he also is a four-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger winner.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see where Upton ends up for the 2022 season.