Written by Joe Messineo at No Coast Bias
Outfielder Justin Upton is one of this offseason’s most coveted MLB free agents, and with good reason. The 28-year-old is younger than most free agents, and he will give a great boost to whichever team manages to sign him. He’s probably the second-most coveted outfielder on the market (after Jason Heyward, who really only edges out Upton because he is younger). There are plenty of teams that wish Upton would play for them, but there are probably only a few teams that can actually afford him. So who is going to plunk down the cash to sign Upton? Here are our best guesses.
Baltimore Orioles
It’s not yet clear that the Orioles will be big spenders this offseason, but if they are, Upton makes a ton of sense for them. They’re likely to lose some offense thanks to their free agent situation, and while they’ll certainly try to re-sign star 1B Chris Davis, they may target Upton if they fail. The Orioles have gotten pretty lousy outfield production for a few years now, so Upton would be a good fit.
Houston Astros
The Astros have a young team and seem poised to do some damage next year. They may be concerned about giving out a huge long-term contract (after all, their young team-controlled talent will hit free agency eventually), but if they’re willing to, now might be the time to do it. Adding Upton to their roster may be enough to get them over the top, opening a championship window that could last at least until their young guys start getting big arbitration raises.
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