Josh Hamilton to Rangers: Texas Completes Deal for Outfielder

Josh Hamilton's tenure with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim has come to a close, as the team shipped the outfielder to the Texas Rangers. 

Continue for updates.

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Hamilton Deal Completed

Monday, April 27

The Angels confirmed via their Twitter account that they have traded Hamilton to the Rangers for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan reported on April 26 that according to a source, a deal sending Hamilton to the Rangers was "in I-dotting, T-crossing stage and is 'very likely done today.'"

On April 25, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal broke down the specific parties involved in a potential Hamilton trade between the Angels and Rangers:

On April 24, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the deal sending Hamilton to Texas is done except for a few ancillary details. Heyman added that it could take a few days to iron out the final details. However, Rosenthal cautioned that the deal could still fall apart.

Passan tweeted that the Rangers are expected to pay around $15 million of Hamilton's remaining salary.

Rosenthal first reported a deal was in the works.

Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News broke down the details of the possible deal:

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It will be a complicated deal, in which the Rangers acquire Hamilton and a significant amount of cash from Los Angeles in exchange for Hamilton’s rights. There will be no player going back to the Angels. While Hamilton is owed about $80 million through 2017 by the Angels, the Rangers’ cash outlay amounts to a token amount, according to a source.

Because of the money involved and Hamilton’s circumstances, details are still being finalized, but the deal could be announced as early as Saturday. Hamilton, however, probably would not play until sometime in early to mid-May since he’s had no spring training.

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Jon Morosi of Fox Sports pointed out that there could be a number of pieces involved in an impending swap:

However, Rosenthal added that the Rangers won't be sending players the other way:

Hamilton admitted in February that he relapsed in his battle with substance abuse. The 33-year-old avoided league punishment after an arbitrator was needed to break a tie among a four-person treatment board created by baseball's joint drug program.

Angels owner Arte Moreno implied that there was language in Hamilton's contract that protected the team in case Hamilton relapsed. Michael McCann of Sports Illustrated discussed the situation in light of the trade rumors and Moreno's claims:

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Team officials, including owner Arte Moreno and general manager Jerry DiPoto, appear displeased by Hamilton's self-reported relapse in February and a subsequent decision by an arbitrator that Major League Baseball cannot punish Hamilton. The Angels might also be skeptical that Hamilton, who underperformed at the plate during the 2013 and '14 seasons, will regain the hitting stroke that made him one of the most feared hitters in baseball from '08 to '12. ...

But an industry source tells SI.com that Hamilton's contract does not contain any language that would make it easier for the Angels to void the contract. ... The MLBPA is most concerned with preventing the creation of a precedent whereby teams can readily convert guaranteed contracts into non-guaranteed contracts.

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In total, the Angels owe Hamilton $83 million for the last three seasons of his original five-year, $125 million contract that he signed after the 2012 season, per ESPN.com.

Hamilton has yet to play a game for the Angels this year and appeared in only 89 games for the team during the 2014 campaign. He hit .263 with 10 home runs and 44 RBI, which was a far cry from his 2010 American League MVP season in which he hit .359 with 32 home runs and 100 RBI for the Rangers in 133 games.

Hamilton played for Texas from 2008-2012 and was one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball. He hit 142 home runs during that span. 

Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram provided an interesting update on the Rangers' evolving position on a reunion with Hamilton after the reports surfaced:

The Rangers are off to a disappointing 6-9 start and sat in last place in the American League West as of Monday. While Hamilton has not appeared to be the player who dominated in Texas for quite some time, the Rangers could use another power bat in the middle of their lineup.

Only Adrian Beltre and Robinson Chirinos have more than a single home run on the season; each has two.

Perhaps a change of scenery and return to the place where he played the best baseball of his career will help Hamilton tap back into the power surge fans saw when he was with the Rangers.