Homecoming for Hamilton

During the 2012 Winter Meetings, baseball saw the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim land the most coveted player on the free agent market for the second consecutive year. One year after signing Albert Pujols to the second wealthiest contract in MLB history, the Halos inked a 5-year, $125 Million deal with outfielder Josh Hamilton which on paper gave the Angels one of the most formidable lineups in all of baseball and was thought to be a World Series contender. In the five seasons Hamilton spent with the Texas Rangers before becoming a free-agent, he was named to the American League All-Star team all five years and won the AL batting title while being awarded AL MVP in 2010. The man who was once touted among the best prospects in all of baseball before injuries and drug abuse threatened his career, had finally developed into the player scouts knew he was destined to be. After earning the recognition of one of the game's best players, Hamilton helped lead the Rangers to back-to-back World Series appearances including the first in franchise history in 2010. So it came as no surprise that Hamilton garnered a hefty payday when he hit the free-agent market just two seasons later.

However, since signing with the Halos, Hamilton has been a shadow of his former self while spending numerous stints on the disabled-list and producing nowhere near the numbers he did while with the Rangers. And then came his relapse with cocaine and alcohol in February which he admitted to. After news broke of Hamilton's relapse, Angels owner Arte Moreno ordered all of Hamilton's merchandise to be removed from the shelves at the team store inside Angels Stadium. Moreno and company was well aware of the risk that came with the now 33-year old slugger the moment they signed him and after the league chose not to suspend Hamilton following his most recent relapse which Moreno was hoping for, the front-office began searching for a team interested in his services. And on Monday, the Angels brought that proposal to fruition by agreeing to trade the highly paid, struggling star to the Rangers. The deal which will end the rocky relationship between Hamilton and the Angels is an expensive one for Anaheim as they will now pay all but around $7 Million of the $83 Million Hamilton is still owed, while shipping him to a division rival and getting nearly nothing in return aside from cleaning their hands of the problematic outfielder.

Although the Rangers will be getting a bargain considering how much Hamilton is owed and how little of the portion they'll have to pay him while hoping to find a solution to their struggling outfield, it won't all be bouquets and hugs for Hamilton when he makes his return to the field for the Rangers. Hamilton will have to regain some of the respect and admiration fans in Arlington once had for their beloved MVP. Upon leaving the franchise he resurrected his baseball career with, Hamilton called Dallas a football town on his way out which although true, rubbed some fans the wrong way. Currently on the disabled-list while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Hamilton is expected to be ready to join the team come mid-May following a Minor League stint according to Rangers GM  Jon Daniels. Hamilton who was no stranger to the Angels organization before he signed with them having faced them multiple times a year while a member of the Rangers, will once again be on the opposing side and my guess is he won't be getting a standing ovation from Halo fans when he's introduced in the batters box. 

Three years removed from clubbing a career-high 43 home runs in his last season with the Rangers, 12 more than he hit in his two seasons combined with the Angels, Hamilton is hoping a change of scenery to a very familiar franchise will help him reclaim the star power he once possessed. With his story and struggles with drugs and alcohol well documented, you can't help but root for the guy and hope he turns it around. And when he makes his return to Arlington, I'll be doing just that.


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