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This morning, the Cleveland Indians and Melvin Upton Jr agreed to a minor league contract.
Sources: #Indians agree to minor-league deal with Melvin Upton Jr.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 15, 2017
Fans will still be sitting around waiting for a big blockbuster deal. This move, however, is about as low-risk as they get. He’s already passed his physical. The Indians essentially gave Austin Jackson the same opportunity last season, and he provided surprising pop for the sometimes-scattered Indians outfield. If Upton Jr makes the opening day roster, he earns a $1.5M contract.
Upton Jr spent most of 2017 battling to return from various injuries but only managed to play in a few Triple-A games. Jon Heyman further reported that Upton Jr personally attended both the GM meetings and the Winter Meetings. I’ve never heard of a player doing this. If the man is that hungry to play, by all means, give him an opportunity to earn that roster spot.