Free agent Justin Upton agrees to six-year deal with Tigers

Free agent Justin Upton, the 28-year-old outfielder who in recent seasons skipped from Arizona to Atlanta to San Diego, on Monday agreed to terms with the Detroit Tigers on a six-year contract that, according to reports, would be worth $132.75 million.

Assuming the deal is completed, Upton would play left field for the Tigers and hit in the middle of a daunting – if predominantly right-handed – lineup that will include Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler and Jose Iglesias. Upton, according to Fox Sports, could opt out of the contract after the second year.

The Tigers finished last in the AL Central in 2015. They’d won the previous four division titles. With a new general manager – Al Avila replaced the fired Dave Dombrowski – but the same financial heft in owner Mike Ilitch, the Tigers have added Upton, Cameron Maybin and Mike Aviles on the offensive side. They signed starters Jordan Zimmermann and Mike Pelfrey, and aided a chronically poor bullpen by acquiring Francisco Rodriguez, Mark Lowe and Justin Wilson. The effectiveness of the pitching staff – it was dreadful in 2015 – will be determined in some part with a healthy return of Justin Verlander, who, indeed, was excellent in the second half of last season.

Before coming to agreement with Upton, the Tigers were believed to have engaged Chris Davis, who re-signed with Baltimore, and Yoenis Cespedes, who remains a free agent.

In a market thick with outfielders, Upton stood with Jason Heyward, Cespedes and Alex Gordon as the most attractive. He has five times hit at least 26 home runs in a season and five times stolen at least 18 bases, while simultaneously falling short of some expectations that he would be a generational talent.

Upton has at times been one of the better players in the game since his debut as a 19-year-old with the Diamondbacks in 2007, but he's been somewhat ordinary at times as well. He was traded twice, from the Diamondbacks to the Braves, and then by the Braves to the Padres, in under two years, and as his free agency approached.

In 2015, his only season in San Diego, where he played in a pitchers’ park, Upton batted .251 with 26 home runs. His on-base percentage – .336 – was his lowest over a full season. His OPS – .790 – was well below his career average. He actually hit far better, however, at Petco Park than he did on the road, which only added to the mystery of Upton.

Presumably, in the end, the Tigers get a youngish outfielder who will play about 150 games, stand in the middle of their lineup, hit close to 30 home runs, produce at times with some of the better hitters in the league, and play a reasonable left field.

He won’t be great every day, but will be on some, occasionally for weeks at a time. Upton is a solid free-agent signing that comes at the going rate for a player who, by the end of a given season, is well better than average, if not precisely what many believed he would be.

USA Today was first to report news of the contract agreement.