LA Angels Solve the Left Field Black Hole

The LA Angels made a questionable move when they traded for slugger Justin Upton this past trade deadline. At first, it seemed like one final push for the playoffs, but now, Upton is apart of the Halos long-term plans.

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The LA Angels were able to convince Justin Upton to stay in Anaheim. Billy Eppler and Co. did so by extending Upton’s contract an additional year, which keeps him in red through the 2022 season.

The Angels are obviously hoping for a few more years out of Upton’s power and elite fielding. While he will be penciled in as the everyday left fielder, Upton will more than likely fill in as the designated hitter as his fielding prowess fades.

The Angels locked Upton up for $106 million, which seems like a huge bet considering the former first overall pick is 30-years old. However, Upton just had what was arguably the best year of his career. He slugged a career-high 35 home runs, while batting .273 with 109 RBI’s. Most of those RBI’s came on a horrible Detroit offense. With Mike Trout hitting in front of him, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs, unless Trout does it first.

Both the Angels and Upton must be happy with the contract, as they both made sure to include a full no-trade clause. Unless Upton becomes disgruntled with the situation, he will more than likely finish his careers in Anaheim.

The last time Billy Eppler took a big risk was in 2015 when he dealt the Angels top two pitching prospects for defensive specialist Andrelton Simmons. However, we all know how that turned out as Simmons has become the second best player on the Angels.

Next: Halos Hope For Offensive Improvements With New Coach

The Angels undoubtedly just made their biggest move of the entire offseason. However, they still have nearly $50 million left until they hit the luxury tax threshold. If today is an indicator, this offseason will be different for the Halos.