Los Angeles Angels Need To Sign Justin Upton

Why is Justin Upton still a free agent? Beats me. Maybe some teams are afraid of how he’ll age. Maybe some teams think he’ll be like B.J. Melvin, his older brother. Either way, it’s definitely one of the more head-scratching things in an offseason that has seen teams throw Powerball-esque money at pitching.

Enter the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels seem to be close every single year, but can’t quite get over that hump. To me, they’re one of the best top-heavy teams in all of baseball. By that, I mean they seem to be very strong in certain areas and horrifically weak in others. There’s very little balance across the board.

With that being said, they definitely need an outfielder who can hit for power, and there’s two remaining. Frankly, I think Upton will be more consistent through the life of a 5-7 year deal than anyone left on the market, and that’s why I think the Angels would be a great fit for him.

Upton has been good for 25 homers and 90 RBIs with respectable splits. He’s never been a guy who’s going to win numerous Gold Gloves, and that’s okay if he can be serviceable in the field, which he has been. His bat has essentially always made up for his defensive shortcomings.

The Angels’ window isn’t going to be open for much longer with Albert Pujols getting older, and wasting Mike Trout‘s amazing seasons is basically an offense to all of baseball. They whiffed on Josh Hamilton, sure, but Upton isn’t Hamilton and money isn’t exactly a problem for the organization. Adding Upton gives the Angels a nasty 2-3-4 or even 3-4-5 that should carry the offense for most of the season.

Not adding Upton, and risking him going to the Texas Rangers, could be the dagger in the Angels’ heart for 2015.

If I’m the Angels, I’d go five years, $100 million — it’s a simple deal, and likely the best offer Upton is going to get this winter. With a few weeks left until Spring Training starts, the pressure is on him to find a new home. It’s a signing that fills holes, and isn’t so atrocious that it’ll hold up other moves if needed.

If the Angels want to win, they need another bat. There’s just no way around it.