To start, this isn’t a bad trade by Al Avila, but it really takes the wind out of Tigers fans already deflated sails.  Upton, by far the Tigers best player this year got off to a rough start after signing a 6-year $132MM deal last year and not sure he really ever became a fan favorite or really attached to Detroit.  J-Up was one of those Mike Illitch signings where he told Al to go out an sign him no matter what and the team paid for it with a very distressing long-term contract, with an opt-out after this year.

Regardless of the money that would have been tied up and yes, it’s great to get dollars off the books, it still feels like a solid kick to the groin when you lose your best player and seemingly get little in return.

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