Josh Hamilton to the Angels: 5yrs $125mil

[MeanGreenTexan]

So, how are the Rangers going to replace Hamilton, let alone Napoli & Young as well?

All you Ticket P1's out there: let me hear you regurgitate how this is good for the Rangers because they won't have to 'deal with his schtick' anymore...Morons, all of you, if you buy this.

Make no mistake, the Rangers will be bunking down at the bottom of the AL West this season with the 'Stros unless they make a huge trade of some kind... and Justin Upton is not the answer.

This offseason could not have gone any worse.

Edited December 13, 2012 by MeanGreenTexan

[Harry]

I think the Rangers will come to regret this.

[BillySee58]

Eh, I don't. Hamilton really was not as big an asset to us these past two years as people think. Napoli will be a bigger loss but even he didn't have a great year. Good production for a catcher though. And Michael Young had one of the worst offensive seasons of any everyday position player in the AL last year. Giving him at bats just because he was Michael Young was getting really old to me. We'll be fine. Yu is starting to establish himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball. He misses more bats than almost any other pitcher. Profar could be a ROY candidate and Beltre was by far our best offensive player last year, so we'll just have to wait and see.

[Green P1]

Napoli got a silly big contract. MY had to go to make room for Profar. Josh and his chicken s attitude needed to be removed from the room. It sucks that Josh went to the Angels.... But that quitter needed to go.

[H-towngreen]

I wonder what our offer was. I'd be fine if he would've signed with Texas for the same deal. Do we go big after Upton now? Oh god, please no Michael Bourne!

[Monkeypox]

I wonder what our offer was. I'd be fine if he would've signed with Texas for the same deal. Do we go big after Upton now? Oh god, please no Michael Bourne!

Rangers weren't given an option to match.

[Green P1]

God clearly told Josh to go to Anaheim.

[KRAM1]

Well, put me in the camp that thinks this was what was going to happen, and that the Rangers will be fine. I liked Josh's bat...when it was in the line up and when he wasn't in some funk like at the end of the year. But, what i have seen is a great hitter whose body is beginning to give out on him due to years of abuse. he wanted this long term contract and he got it, but i do think you will see the Angles "stuck" with that long term deal and a player who cannot stay in the lineup. Josh is one slip-up away from imploading, and that is not something I would want to risk that sort of $$ and that many years on...good for the Angels, but I think this is a good deal for the Rangers. Pitching wins in this game. Rangers need pitching, not a long term deal for mega-millions with Josh. Will the Rangers miss his bat...oh, sure, but would this have been a good deal for the rangers? Nope...and I don't think it's a good deal for the Angels. They signed Pujols to a long term deal as well...don't know how that will work out either, but he is an aging slugger as well. Lots of money and long term deals. I predict some dumping of players and contracts by the Angels in the next couple of years. The Angels better win this next year or the "big deals" will catch up with them. Sorry to see Josh go...loved the guy, but good for the Rangers.

[Grant.UNT]

I'm with KRAM. JD is smarter than we think. I would have loved to see him hang around here, but good riddance. Not worth my $125M or $25M per year. That's insane money for a guy that hit 1 HR in the world series. People said that we were going to be sorry we let CJ go too. He didn't really bite us either last year. We just beat ourselves at the end of last year. Good luck, and I hope he doesn't have a career ending injury in Spring Training.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Eh, I don't. Hamilton really was not as big an asset to us these past two years as people think. Napoli will be a bigger loss but even he didn't have a great year. Good production for a catcher though.And Michael Young had one of the worst offensive seasons of any everyday position player in the AL last year. Giving him at bats just because he was Michael Young was getting really old to me.We'll be fine. Yu is starting to establish himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball. He misses more bats than almost any other pitcher. Profar could be a ROY candidate and Beltre was by far our best offensive player last year, so we'll just have to wait and see.

You're putting some big expectations on Profar. I'm certainly on board with him playing every day. I think he'll be the real deal, but it may take time. He's going to have to put up Cespedes-like numbers this year, and that is a tall order.

When you lose Young, you lose your clubhouse leader, and that's more important than losing a .277 hitter (...worst offensive season...?, maybe for him, but "ever in the AL"? Ever heard of Mario Mendoza?)

Napoli is yet another big loss, but losing him doesn't hurt nearly as bad as losing Hamilton. Not even close.

Part of the reason Beltre was great was because he followed Josh. His numbers may dip now that he will certainly bat 3rd with ?Nellie/TBD? batting behind him.

I agree w/Green P1, losing Mike was necessary to get Profar the most PT. Losing Nap puts our offensive production at the C position on life support, and losing Josh is just the extremely heavy straw that obliterates the Camel's back.

...But hey! The Rangers got Juaqin Soria, so the BP is looking better!

Time to pay Michael Bourn? I think there's no doubt.

Edited December 13, 2012 by MeanGreenTexan

[mattmartin817]

It was time for Josh to go, plain and simple. Losing Napoli hurts more when you really look at the the catching picture on this team, we need one. Bad. We were not going to pay Hamilton that kind of money, he's not worth it. Rangers FO made the right call (even though they weren't given the option to match). He's going to start declinging soon, and when he does it will most likely be abrupt and brutal to watch. He had a great first half of last season and then completely fell apart. MY had to leave, I'm a big MY fan, he's probably my favorite Ranger of all time, but he is at the end of his career. I would have liked us to sign Greinke, but again don't think he was worth that much. We don't need to do like the angels and tie up 400 mill in 3 players, that's bad financial sense. Now we have a chance to sign Elvis, (we need to money whip him), have profar at second, move kinsler to 1st. That gives us arguably the best infield in baseball. We still have some studs on this team, plus a pretty decent pitching rotation, and a pretty damn good bullpen. I'm not that worried, we will win the division this season. Mark my words.

[MeanGreenTexan]

... I'm not that worried, we will win the division this season. Mark my words.

If we are not making any other moves, or bringing in more spares like Eli Whiteside, we will finish 4th in the AL West this season. Mark my words.

[mattmartin817]

If we are not making any other moves, or bringing in more spares like Eli Whiteside, we will finish 4th in the AL West this season. Mark my words.

Can't tell if you are serious or using a little hyperbole. We finished 1 game out of first last season, the angels finished 5, the mariners finished 19 back. Hamilton does not make up 5 games by himself, plus the Angles lost a starting pitcher (which cost them their best prospects to get, so they will have trouble making a mid season trade). MY had a negative WAR last season, he was hurting more than helping. Hamilton's stats from last season are only inflated due to his first half of the season, which was incredible, but he has shown he is really really inconsistent. Napoli to me is the biggest loss, because we need a catcher, but hell, he only hit .227 last season, had 350ish AB's, you don't pay that guy the amount of money he got, that's just good business sense. I don't think we get any deals done now before the season, which sucks because there was a lot of excitement surrounding the possible deals with this team, but I bet we do make a big trade for a pitcher in season. We'll be fine.

[UNTLifer]

I hate to see him go, but fully understand the decision not to resign him at that amount. If I were the Rangers, I would go after Kyle Lohse and Adam LaRouche, move Kinsler to the OF and then look how things shake out and make a move mid-season if needed.

[Mean Green Scrappy]

The Rangers will be fine this coming season and have enough talent on the field to go win the west. Young had to go, we had no room for him. So all we have to do is replace a guy that would have been sitting on the bench most of the time anyways. Kinsler will be the new leader of this team and will do a fine job. Short term not having Hamilton hurts us but overall we get around it. No way he last the full 5 years of the contract IMO and I am glad it wasn't us giving him 5 years at that price. Like mentioned above, this team isn't done and its a long way to the trade deadline for 2013. We will get something done to help improve the ball club, but it doesn't have to be anything blockbuster. Also look for Murphy to step up and be a leader and great everyday player.

[Green P1]

If we get good Nellie Cruz we'll be fine. If we get bad Nellie Cruz and uppercut Kinsler we're on big trouble. I'm oddly excited about a full season of everyday Murph Dog at bats.

[GrandGreen]

I like Hamilton, the Rangers would not have been close to post season if he had not carried them the first half of the year. However, I can't fault anyone for passing on him at his Angel contract level. I don't think Napoli is worth the money either. I just hope they find a pitcher that can be a 2 or 3 in the rotation.

[UNTLifer]

The Rangers will be fine this coming season and have enough talent on the field to go win the west. Young had to go, we had no room for him. So all we have to do is replace a guy that would have been sitting on the bench most of the time anyways. Kinsler will be the new leader of this team and will do a fine job. Short term not having Hamilton hurts us but overall we get around it. No way he last the full 5 years of the contract IMO and I am glad it wasn't us giving him 5 years at that price. Like mentioned above, this team isn't done and its a long way to the trade deadline for 2013. We will get something done to help improve the ball club, but it doesn't have to be anything blockbuster. Also look for Murphy to step up and be a leader and great everyday player.

I agree, but am not so sure about Kinsler as the new leader. I personally would like to see them trade Kinsler for a big bat or a pitcher.

[Green P1]

I agree, but am not so sure about Kinsler as the new leader. I personally would like to see them trade Kinsler for a big bat or a pitcher.

Its too late for that. The rest of the league already knows what Kins is now.

Edited December 14, 2012 by Green P1

[Coffee and TV]

Nobody is worth $25 million a year in baseball. Nobody.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Nobody is worth $25 million a year in baseball. Nobody.

MLB needs a salary cap... REAL BAD. I'm tired of Rangers ticket prices increasing.

[Coffee and TV]

MLB needs a salary cap... REAL BAD. I'm tired of Rangers ticket prices increasing.

From a ticket pricing standpoint, I can understand your anger. However, payroll does not necessarily equal success as often as you'd think in baseball. The Angels & Rangers still got moneyballed by the A's last season.

[Censored by Laurie]

From an objective observer (Red Sox fan) Short term...the Rangers will suffer a bit...especially if Profar, Martin, Olt et al aren't big league ready, but there is still solid rotation options and productive hitters and a manager who can play AL small-ball. Long term... When will Mike Trout need to get done? Just take the money you've wisely saved by not making a Hamilton panic buy, scoop Trout up when the Angels are saddled with these awful contracts in a few seasons.

[Coffee and TV]

Long term...When will Mike Trout need to get done? Just take the money you've wisely saved by not making a Hamilton panic buy, scoop Trout up when the Angels are saddled with these awful contracts in a few seasons.

Hamilton's contract will be up by the time Trout could be a free agent.

[Green Mean]

It was shocking to see but I have no issues of letting Hamilton go if they sign Elvis his 10+ year contract. There is no reason whatsoever Elvis shouldn't be the face of this franchise and wear one uniform his whole career here. And don't say Scott Boras is his agent because he's also Beltre's agent.