04/19/24
April 24, 2015
Rangers Close to Trade with Angels for Josh Hamilton: The Texas Rangers are close to completing a trade with the Los Angeles Angels for Josh Hamilton, according to media reports from Dallas/Fort Worth media. Radio host Ben Rogers tweeted, "My guess is that no big contracts will be traded back to the Angels. I expect this will be the Angels paying a ton of his salary." Hamilton is currently both an injury and a substance abuse concern. He's rehabbing offseason shoulder surgery and self-reported his third drug abuse relapse since 2009.
Rangers fans have been bashing Hamilton without cease ever since he left and took a few unkind shots at Texas fan support. This is like when your best friend breaks up with his girlfriend, you trash her to him and they get back together.
posted by rcade at 08:40 PM on April 24, 2015
Just in time to give him a boost in the Franchise Four voting. C'mon Rangers fans, show your support.
posted by deflated at 12:22 AM on April 25, 2015
Asan Angels fan, I ill be happy to see him go. He has done nothing for the Angels. He is an overpaid drug abusing liability.
posted by JohnSoCal at 11:48 AM on April 25, 2015
This is one of the most bizarre deals in baseball history. The Angels are trading Hamilton to the Rangers for no player. They will pay him $68 million. The Rangers will pay him $6 million over three years. He will forego $6 million.
posted by rcade at 10:59 PM on April 25, 2015
This is one of the most bizarre deals in baseball history. The Angels are trading Hamilton to the Rangers for no player. They will pay him $68 million. The Rangers will pay him $6 million over three years. He will forego $6 million.
WOAH! What a minute!
Back in 2003, the MLBPA stepped up and killed the deal that would have sent ARod to Boston because he was going to forego some money on his contract in order to play for the Red Sox.
But now, this is acceptable?!
This whole thing reeks.
posted by grum@work at 01:29 AM on April 26, 2015
That is a wild deal, which, as much sense as it might make for everyone, still strikes me as setting a bad precedent. Can't the Rangers throw in a utility player or their 5th best minor league prospect? A couple of draft picks??
posted by billsaysthis at 02:15 PM on April 26, 2015
It's not a bad precedent - effectively, the Rangers are dealing a modicum of salary relief and I assume some emotional value to the Angels in exchange for the potential services of Josh Hamilton.
I think the Angels are nuts in their valuation of Hamilton - they are effectively betting on Hamilton being a 1 WAR or less player over the next 3 years combined (despite his failings in LA, he contributed 3 WAR over two years.) Assuming he plays, he'll provide the Rangers significant value relative to their cost even if he's the 2014 Hamilton.
There's a potential argument that he's a negative in the clubhouse at this point (although I really question whether or not teammates care as much as the media and executives in MLB do about his drinking and/or drug use) but you could negate that by simply telling him to stay home.
The idea that requiring they send a 34-year-old AA-ball player the other way makes a deal substantially better is weird - it's window dressing. Why make teams make totally inconsequential moves in order to pretend like players aren't being sold from one team to another?
posted by dfleming at 03:34 PM on April 26, 2015
Why make teams make totally inconsequential moves in order to pretend like players aren't being sold from one team to another?
posted by grum@work at 09:38 AM on April 27, 2015
The story must have been filed in haste with voice recog and auto complete. It sholy wasn't proofread.
('Course now that I say that, they'll probably tidy it up...)