Rays’ Upton avoids arbitration, signs deal
Posted January 18, 2011 1:05 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — B.J. Upton and the Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a one-year contract worth US$4,825,000, avoiding arbitration.
The deal was announced Monday.
Upton batted .237 with 18 homers, 38 doubles, 62 RBIs and 42 steals in 154 games with the AL East champions last season. He is the only player in the major leagues with at least 100 doubles and 100 steals over the past three seasons.
The 27-year-old centre-fielder lost in arbitration last year, when he was awarded $3 million rather than his request for $3.3 million. He and Carl Crawford then became the first teammates in major league history to have 60-plus extra-base hits and 40-plus steals in the same season.
Crawford left last month for a $142-million, seven-year contract with Boston.
