Josh Hamilton: Unreal Play Means Texas Rangers Must Act Fast to Lock Up Slugger

There is no doubt that Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton is one of the best players in the game when he is healthy and his head is screwed on straight. After an injury-riddled 2011 campaign, though, expectations were somewhat tempered for him in 2012. Hamilton has come out of the gates on fire, however, and is playing at a level higher than anyone else.

After a four-home run, eight-RBI game against the Baltimore Orioles earlier in the week, Hamilton returned home and knocked two more out of the park Friday night. That gives him 17 dingers, 40 RBI and a .407 batting average on the season.

The free-agent-to-be hasn't been able to work a deal out with the Rangers yet, but Texas needs to do whatever it takes to lock him up.

It's understandable that the Rangers may have some reservations when it comes to giving Hamilton a big contract since he has dealt with injuries for his entire career and had a relapse with alcohol during the offseason, but he has been perfectly healthy thus far and appears to have his off-field affairs back in order once again.

From a baseball perspective, Hamilton is absolutely vital to the team because his presence in the middle of the order makes everyone else around him better. On top of that, he is an extremely marketable player and is one of the biggest reasons why fans come out to the ballpark every day.

With every hit and every homer that Hamilton racks up, his price rises that much more. Hamilton has already gone on record to say that he won't give the Rangers a hometown discount, so I'm not really sure what they're waiting for. Unless something catastrophic happens between now and the end of the season, Hamilton's value certainly isn't going down.

The backlash from fans would be absolutely incredible if Texas failed to re-sign its superstars, so the time is now to get a deal done. With the Rangers cruising out to a 22-11 record, the front office may not want to create any distractions, but it's vital that they sign Hamilton long-term now because the longer they wait, the more likely it becomes that he'll leave.

As much as Hamilton seems to love it in Texas and as good of a fit as he is with the Rangers, there's no telling what he might do if another team dangles a bundle of money in front of him. Texas has the cash to get a deal done, but I have to believe that some other organization out there would be willing to give him an Albert Pujols-esque contract.

When a player performs like this in his contract year, there is obviously some reason to be cautious, but Hamilton has always displayed immense power and a knack for hitting for a great average as well. It just so happens that he has put everything together this season, and the results have been nothing short of amazing.

Hamilton is a legitimate star, and he has officially become the face of the franchise in Texas. The Rangers can continue to play hardball if they so please, but Hamilton is invaluable as a commodity, and the sooner he is re-signed, the better it will be for all parties involved.