ARLINGTON, Texas — Josh Hamilton is back with the Texas Rangers.
After two troublesome years with the Los Angeles Angels and less than halfway through a $125 million, five-year contract, Hamilton was traded to American League West rival Texas with cash Monday for a player to be named or cash.
“I had a lot of good memories here,” Hamilton said during a news conference. “I’m back here. I’m back home. I’m going to give everything I’ve got.”
On the 15-day disabled list while recovering from offseason right shoulder surgery, Hamilton took a physical and will report Tuesday to the Rangers’ spring training complex in Surprise, Ariz. Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said the Rangers expect he will be activated during the second half of May.
“At the end of the day this is a pretty easy decision for us,” Daniels said, calling Hamilton “a player we feel can be productive and help us win games.”
Hamilton returns to the team he helped make consecutive World Series appearances in 2010 and ’11. Hamilton was the 2010 AL MVP and an All-Star each of his five seasons with Texas (2008-12).
“It didn’t work out on the field. It didn’t work out off the field,” Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said during a conference call. “From beginning to end, this is not what we planned. This is not the way we envisioned any of this playing out from the moment we signed Josh. … At the end of the day, this is what we felt this was best for the team, that we were able to clear the air, that we were able to move forward with the group of 25 that we have on the field today.”
Los Angeles is expected to pay most of the remaining $80.2 million Hamilton was owed: $20,234,973 this year and $30 million in each of the final two seasons. As part of the trade, Hamilton agreed to give up some of the money he was due under the contract, a person familiar with the trade said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that was not announced.
The deal, which had to be approved by Major League Baseball and the players’ association, came more than two weeks after Angels owner Arte Moreno strongly indicated that Hamilton would never play again for Los Angeles.
Hamilton never reported to the Angels this season after surgery in early February and his self-reported relapse into alcohol and cocaine use. Arbitrator Roberta Golick ruled MLB could not discipline Hamilton.
Thumbnail photo via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images