Justin Upton is on his way out of Detroit.
The Tigers on Thursday traded Upton to the L.A. Angels for right-handed pitching prospect Grayson Long and a player to be named later or cash considerations, just hours before the 11:59 p.m. waiver trade deadline.
The Tigers announced the move in a news release. It was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Vertical
Upton, a power-hitting left fielder, has been a bright spot on a poor Tigers team this season. He's hitting .279 with 28 homers and 94 RBIs.
He is owed nearly $90 million over the remaining life of his contract, which expires in 2021, and he makes just over $22 million per season. The departure signals a clear rebuild for a franchise that entered the season with one of the league's highest payrolls but didn't come close to contending for a playoff spot.
The Tigers (58-74) entered Thursday in fourth place in the American League Central, 18 games behind the first-place Cleveland Indians.
Tigers general manager Al Avila hinted at a rebuild in a letter to season-ticket holders earlier this week, saying "2017 has been frustrating for all of us in the organization" and "we have committed to spending and investing significant resources in player development."
Long, the reported prospect in the deal, is 8-6 this season with a 2.52 ERA in 1212/3 innings for the Mobile BayBears, the Angels' Double-A affiliate in Alabama. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder started the season in Class-A Advance Inland Empire in San Bernardino, Calif., finishing 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA.
He was drafted in the third round of the 2015 MLB draft out of Texas A&M.
