Today, the Arizona Diamondbacks re-signed 22-year-old outfielder Justin Upton to a 6-year, 51 million dollar deal. Cue thrilling montage pop song over footage of J-Up launching liners into the lackluster lunches of Friday's Front Row patrons.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Josh Byrnes: You Sir, Are No Steve Kerr
Today, the Arizona Diamondbacks re-signed 22-year-old outfielder Justin Upton to a 6-year, 51 million dollar deal. Cue thrilling montage pop song over footage of J-Up launching liners into the lackluster lunches of Friday's Front Row patrons.
1.) Justin Upton is insanely, immensely talented, and I could not be happier that he just signed for 5 years here in AZ.
2.) When he's done with this contract, he'll be 28 years old. It is not a stretch for me to say that, barring injury, he'll be one of the top five players in baseball by then. Kind of a no-risk statement there.
3.) This is especially good news, considering last year I spent the season trying to figure out why A.J. Hinch is a more desirable managerial choice than Bob Melvin (or Kirk Gibson, for that matter).
4.) Here is yet another reason to ponder why the Suns didn't move Shaq before last year's trade deadline... maybe we could have gotten more than... well, the nothing we got for him. I mean, sure, thanks for the salary cap relief. Maybe this offseason, that will allow the Suns to pursue a free agent such as Brian Scalabrine or Colby Karl. Right after Amar'e opts out and signs... well, anywhere a franchise makes him actually feel wanted, really. Lessons unlearned, folks.**
5.) We have Ken Griffey III for six more years! How many times will a pennant race come down to Tim Lincecum vs. Upton? The possibilities are maddeningly intriguing.
Here's a clip from ESPN, comparing him to Willie Mays. That's premature, but as a D-backs fan, it sure is nice to have this type of buzz coming from the desert.
** Sorry, I had to say this: do you really think Amar'e wouldn't opt out for the Knicks? Let me spell it out for you: Mike D'Antoni isn't going to make him play any defense. If the Knicks get LeBron, Amar'e is gone. If they don't get LeBron, they'll offer STAT Allan Houston dollars to smooth over an irate NY crowd. Whatever. I'm bracing myself for his departure, I guess, even though I was pulling for him to be traded this year. I've been thinking about the LeBron thing today because I came across this website, which is interesting: www.noyork.com
I'm just irreconcilably grateful to have the opportunity to see Justin Upton in a D-Backs uni for the next half-decade.
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