Tigers trade Justin Upton to Angels

The Angels have acquired outfielder Justin Upton from the Tigers for righty Grayson Long and a player to be named later or cash, as first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal has since been announced by the clubs.

Upton cleared revocable trade waivers earlier this month, making him eligible to be traded to any club. His market was thought to be limited by his opt-out clause this winter, though Rosenthal reports that the Halos acquired him regardless of concerns about him leaving the organization this winter.

Upton is a major addition for an Angels club that sits just one game out of a wild card spot entering play Thursday, serving as a shocking move for a club that sold at the deadline by trading reliever David Hernandez to Arizona. Upton will slot into the club’s outfield alongside Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun, with Cameron Maybin shifting into a backup role.

Upton is in just the second year of the six-year, $132.75 million deal he signed with Detroit, but his future is entirely dependent on the opt-out clause. He will be owed $88.5 million over the next four seasons if he opts into the deal, though he may now be more likely to explore the open market after a month with the Halos.

Upton, who turned 30 this week, has posted a strong .279/.362/.542 line with 28 homers and 94 RBI in an All-Star campaign for the Tigers this season.

Long, 23, was the Angels’ third-round pick in 2015 out of Texas A&M. He owns a 2.52 ERA and 8.2 K/9 in 23 starts this year for Double-A Mobile and ranks as the Angels’ 9th-best prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.