Josh Hamilton Trade Talk: Who Will Pounce If Extension Talks Collapse?

As the Rangers work towards coming to terms with Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish, rumors continue to swirl that the team is also still in the running for slugger Prince Fielder after recently meeting with him.

According to Jim Bowden of ESPN, the team could afford to sign both Darvish and Fielder this offseason which would no doubt make them the front-runners to win it all.

However, it could cost them upwards of $300 million to pull it off as Fielder is looking for a long-term, $200 million contract, and Darvish comes with a $51.7 million posting fee and is looking for a contract similar to the $52 million deal that Daisuke Matsuzaka received.

While the team may have the funds to pull that off, that would likely mean no extension for outfielder Josh Hamilton, who is entering the final season of his current deal.

Making Hamilton's future in Texas even more hazy is the fact that he recently put a deadline on extension talks, stating that he is willing to negotiate until the beginning of spring training but would like to focus on the 2012 season once camp starts. 

If that is in fact the case, and the team is unable to reach an agreement with the soon-to-be 31-year-old outfielder, he could be on his way out of Texas. The Rangers could look to trade him to help ease some of the strain signing Fielder and Darvish would put on the payroll.

Should he be made available, there undoubtedly would be a number of teams interested in Hamilton, but here is a look at the teams that would be legitimate contenders for his services.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays missed out on landing Yu Darvish after aggressively pursuing him, but, if nothing else, that showed that they have some money and are willing to spend it.

With Eric Thames slated to open the season in left field, Hamilton would certainly be an upgrade. Additionally, adding Hamilton to a lineup that already features Jose Bautista and up-and-coming slugger Brett Lawrie would be one more step towards AL East contention for Toronto.

Outfielder Anthony Gose could be the cornerstone of a trade, as he has legitimate five-tool potential and could be Hamilton's long-term replacement.

Throw in one or two other mid-level prospects and that may be enough for Hamilton to be playing north of the border.

Seattle Mariners

The Mariners have long been viewed as a potential landing spot for Fielder, but if that does not work out, Hamilton could be the next best thing to give their anemic offense a jump-start.

Recently acquired from the Yankees, top prospect Jesus Montero may very well be the best hitter in the Mariners lineup right now, although Dustin Ackley and Justin Smoak are promising bats moving forward.

The trade package could start with 26-year-old Mike Carp, who has little room to improve, but hit .276 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI last season in just 290 at-bats. He would be an immediate replacement for Hamilton.

Add in a high-ceiling young starter like Futures Game selection James Paxton, and that may be enough to entice the Rangers.

Miami Marlins

The Marlins came out aggressively this offseason by signing Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell, trading for Carlos Zambrano and making a serious run at Albert Pujols.

The team has been targeting Cuban outfielder Yoennis Cespedes, so they are clearly in the market for a center field upgrade over Emilio Bonifacio, and Hamilton would be just another star addition for a team finally heading in the right direction.

The Marlins have a pair of top-tier outfield prospects in Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna, and while Yelich is likely untouchable, a package built on the upside of 21-year-old Ozuna and a handful of lower-level prospects may be enough to get Hamilton.

Washington Nationals

Long searching for their franchise center fielder, the Nationals attempted to acquire Denard Span last year at the deadline, and they have been linked to B.J. Upton countless times.

While he brings something different to the lineup, adding Hamilton would give the Nationals an impressive group of power hitters, with Ryan Zimmerman, Michael Morse and Adam Laroche already penciled into the lineup.

The organization gave up a good deal of their young talent to land Gio Gonzalez from the Athletics, but the Rangers are in need of a left-handed reliever and would no doubt love to add Sean Burnett. From there, slugging first base prospect Chris Marrero and injury-risk pitching prospect Sammy Solis may be enough to finally get the Nationals their center fielder.

In Conclusion

Whether or not Hamilton will be extended, made available or simply held onto if the team is willing to sustain a massive payroll in 2012 to win it all remains to be seen.

Regardless of whether or not the team signs Fielder, the Rangers have to be considered among the AL favorites, as the signing of Darvish should at least off-set the loss of C.J. Wilson.

In the end, trading Hamilton would make sense if Fielder is added. The move would free up payroll and add some young talent.

However, a lineup with Fielder and Hamilton, along with the rest of the Rangers' impressive hitters, is fun to imagine and would likely rank among the greatest of all-time.