Justin Upton signed with the Tigers for six years and $132 million on Monday night. Before signing with Detroit, the Braves approached Upton about a reunion that would have made him one of the franchise's cornerstone pieces.
According to Ken Rosenthal, "the Braves talked to Upton's camp about a reunion as they rebuild and prepare for the opening of their new ballpark in 2017, according to major-league sources.
No offer was made, but the conversations centered on a six-year contract that would have been for a significantly lower average annual value than Upton received in his six-year, $132.75 million deal with the Tigers, sources said."
It is important to note that no official offer was ever made, but it goes along with everything John Coppolella and John Hart have said since taking over: the Braves are always open for business, even if they aren't buying and selling. This is what they should be doing considering the state of the 25-man roster. A team might as well ask until the answer is 'no', or in this case, get out-bid by the Tigers.
This also meshes with the recent reports that the Braves are interested in Yoenis Cespedes. Like Upton, it's more than likely they gets outbid, but it never hurts to ask.