The Philadelphia Phillies, who were known to be one of B.J. Upton's top suitors, lost the bidding for the center fielder's services on Wednesday, when it was announced that the Atlanta Braves signed him to a five-year, $75.25 million contract. Apparently, the Phillies did not come close to meeting Upton's price tag; MLB.com's Mark Bowman tweeted that the club offered him a five-year, $55 million hitch.
Phillies offered almost $20 million less than Braves to B.J. Upton
Philadelphia missed out on Upton’s services to its division rival, Atlanta.
Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE
Upton will presumably become Atlanta's leadoff hitter. Though his on-base percentage dipped below .300 in 2012, the 28-year-old outfielder hit a career-high 28 home runs for the Tampa Bay Rays. The Braves utilized Michael Bourn at the top of their batting order in 2012, and though he did not offer as much power as Upton does, he got on base at a steady .348 clip. However, Upton will provide a similar amount of speed on the basepaths. Bourn swiped 42 bases in 2012, but was caught 13 times. Upton stole 31 bases, but was nabbed just six times.
See More:
