It has been the perfect spring for Justin Upton. New team. New father. New expectations.
Upton is the Detroit Tigers’ biggest off-season acquisition in that few, if any, saw it coming in January. Especially not after general manager Al Avila openly said just weeks earlier that the Tigers had a closed checkbook following the huge free-agent investment in starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann. But Upton has comfortably flown beneath the radar as the regular season approaches.
His early exhibition season offensive struggles — a batting average that dipped below .200 — didn’t warrant much internal concern or outside attention.