On Saturday, the Seattle Mariners made a move to sign a veteran player.
Justin Upton, after being released by the Los Angeles Angels at the end of spring training, is now headed out to Seattle.
Upton had a difficult season for the Angels in 2021.
Despite still hitting 17 home runs, he only drove in 41 runs and hit for a poor .211 average.
However, the 34-year-old still possesses some power and is somebody who could help the Mariners at some point this season as he tries to regain his stroke.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted about the move and how the Mariners are actually getting him at a good price, as the Angels are stuck paying the majority of his remaining salary.
All-Star right fielder Justin Upton, released in spring training by the #Angels, will be signing a major-league contract with the Seattle #Mariners that will become official tonight. The Mariners will be responsible for only about $550,000 of Upton’s $28 million contract.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 22, 2022
Got Him For A Bargain
If it works out, this could be a nice little steal for the Mariners.
It could end up being similar to what happened last year after the Angels cut ties with Albert Pujols, before the future Hall-of-Famer ultimately ended up with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Mariners are only paying Upton $550,000 right now.
He’s not even suiting up for the Angels anymore and they are the ones taking on the burden of most of his salary.
They’re the ones on the hook here.
But if Upton can come anywhere close to producing the way he did in his prime, this move will greatly benefit the Mariners and come back to haunt the Angels, as was the case with Pujols a year ago, especially considering how little the Mariners are actually going to be paying him.
We’ll see if it works out for the Mariners and if the Angels ultimately end up regretting it.
