Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton will not suit up for the club this year, GM Jon Daniels told reporters including Jared Sandler of the Rangers Radio Network (Twitter link). He’ll undergo surgery in early June that will sideline him the rest of the way.
Texas also took another hit to its outfield, as Shin-Soo Choo is heading back to the DL. He had just finished up a rehab assignment for a calf strain when he went down to a hamstring issue. The club waited a few days, but finally decided it needed to free up a roster spot.
Hamilton, who just turned 35, had already been sidelined for the season to date after having work done on his knee several times in the last year. But hopes were that he’d provide another option at some point in the middle of the year.
Instead, he’ll look ahead to 2017, with Daniels stressing that the slugger fully intends to play. He’ll be earning another $30MM in the final season of his free agent contract, though of course the Angels are responsible for the bulk of that. As things stand, he’s provided just 182 plate appearances of .253/.291/.441 hitting to the Rangers since he was re-acquired in April of last year.
As for Choo, it’s obviously promising that he wasn’t immediately placed on the DL, but concerning that he hasn’t bounced back as quickly as hoped. The emergence of Nomar Mazara has changed the outfield dynamic, and reduced the impact of Choo’s loss, but center fielder Drew Stubbs is dealing with his own injury that still may lead to a DL stint as well.
For the time being, Texas will purchase the contract of outfielder Jared Hoying, which will require a complementary 40-man move. The 27-year-old earned his MLB debut with an excellent start to the year at Triple-A. Of course, Opening Day center fielder Delino DeShields Jr. remains available at Round Rock as well.
Used to pull for Josh for overcoming his demons to play at the level that everyone knew he could when he was drafted.
No more. I don’t believe Josh. I don’t believe the injury stuff. All excuses. I’m believe the demons have been back in his life for the last 1-2 years.
I doubt he will come back to be productive again and maybe not at all.
His wife made the decision for him to go to the Angels. California offered what SHE wanted, but not what Josh needed. He filed for divorce 2 offseasons after he signed with the Angels. His divorce includes provisions that she can’t hide the kids from him, she can’t disparage him, and she can’t have a guy stay over. I’m 110% sure Katie was a large portion of what went wrong with him in LA.
Josh has been very productive for the Rangers and will be again next year.
That’s $23 million of productivity a year the Angels can’t put on the field.
Because we all know much payroll plays in winning a World Series, right? How’s that awesome Blue Jays lineup doing right now?
Josh hasn’t been productive for the Rangers since 2012, and he won’t be productive for them next season as well.
Can a team really BS like this and pretend he’s injured? This is a serious question and not meant to be rude but do you know of any proven instance where a team has lied about a players reason for being on the DL?
I don’t think they’re lying. Years of drug and alcohol abuse takes a toll on the body. His knee has been a problem for years.
You don’t know what you are talking about. If you KNOW something, explain, otherwise you’re just casting shade and making false accusations. Stop trolling.
It does NOT take drug abuse to force a player out of the game.. Want HOF player as PROOF that could still hit, yet had to leave, because could no longer either play anywhere in the field, much less run?
Orlando Cepeda.
More great players whose knees/legs went out..
Rico Carty
Mike Easler
Vada Pinson
I realize you weren’t the one attacking Hamilton, with so many hammering his numerous issues with them.. I would have to take his side with no proof otherwise also.
You definitely aren’t replying to the right person, and if so, your point is invalid. madmanTX was obviously replying to the guy that was basically calling BS on Hamilton’s injury.
Let us not forget Tony Oliva, Roger Maris & Mickey Mantle. Three great hitters whose careers were shortened/lessened by injuries. That’s life. Very few like Cal Ripkin, Lou Gehrig, Pete Rose, Stan Musial who played a long time missing very few games. I choose to believe Josh is hurt and will never approach his form of 2010-11-12. If he does come back with the Rangers next year, it’ll just be as a part time DH/pinch hitter.
Orlando Cepeda is an ironic choice to back up your argument, considering his own drug problems that kept him out of the Hall of Fame for quite a few years.
Cepeda never used PED’s to my knowledge and his other drug usage never kept him out of games. It happened after his playing career was over. Josh won’t be in the HOF and it’s not because of his drug use. His numbers simply aren’t good enough.
He had surgery. If you have physical evidence to disprove that, present it. Otherwise you’re the one who is lying.
I love the Angels… I also wonder when teams will quit signing players to these excessive long term deals. They almost never work out. I know it won’t happen, but you would think teams would learn. Prince Fielder is the next albatross of of contract. Barely batting .200
There are just so many bad contracts out there. I think we’ll continue to see the long-term deals with player/team opt-outs after a few seasons. Seems to make the most sense. If the player is still performing up to expectations he can hit the open market again and make even more cash. If he’s under performing, the team can throw in a sizable buyout option at him.
not going to happen… the buyout would have to be so ridiculously large that an under-performing player would be able to make up the rest of the difference on prove-it deals, otherwise it wouldn’t have any benefit to the players… and the players association won’t let anything happen that costs players significant portions of contracts.
Yeah you’re right – the players association does have a lot of power.
What’s stupid is the amount of money a player can make for being a total non-entity. That doesn’t happen in other sports.
Well except for the NBA. If you’re 7 ft tall and marginally athletic, teams will still pay you 10 million plus/year to be big and suck at everything else.
Next will be Miguel Cabrera, and someday Giancarlo Stanton. It’ll never stop. And I laugh at the criticism the Angels get sometimes because in 5 years albatross contracts will be rampant all over the game.
It’s funny you guys sit in a sports chat room and complain about how much money athletes make, but I bet you never go to Actor/CEO chat room and complain about ridiculous $
I do. Actor/ress large ridiculous salaries drive up the price of movie tickets about 25 cents per blockbuster movie. I’ve stopped going to the theater a long time ago because of this… a well, I’ll admit it.. i’m cheap. Now I have to pay for a kid too? O hell no, wait until that movie hits on demand 🙂
Josh Hamilton just seems like the biggest weasal of all time. He got so many chances and he just seems so ungrategul. Im not knocking him for being hurt or anything. You’d just imagine a guy who has built a career on a comeback story would be outwardly gracious and humble about the unfortunate situation he keeps putting teams in.
You don’t think he is?
He’s been like a roller coaster. There have been times when he is humble, and other times when he’s been a jerk. He seems to have an extremely fragile ego, and when things aren’t going well he lashes out and/or goes into a shell. Which has pretty much been the case since he signed with the Angels.
He’s human like any of us. I’m sure he’s frustrated by the downturn his career has taken.
Wow. Exactly how should this outward graciousness be expressed in order to satisfy you?
The dude is hurt and needs sugery. I’m sure the monumental disappointment of another wasted season along with fighting a constant and practically all-consuming battle of addiction is not pleasant to deal with. I think I can forgive the guy for not walking through the club house and front office with a smile on his face thanking everyone in sight everyday.
I’m not a psychiatrist, but I’ve continued to believe that Josh is still blaming himself for the Shannon Stone incident. It seems like his life and career just hooked a left after that tragedy.
It’s not his fault that Basic Instinct 2 was awful.
I see what you did there…..
It’d bother anyone I’m sure.
I remember at the time that happened, thinking, “oh..that’s the wrong person to go through that”. So often drug addiction is a means to cope with personal emotional pain. The guy is just flawed in a way that most of us can’t understand. The baseball life might actually be whats kept him alive. He wasnt a guy with a little partying going on…he has had a serious opiate addiction…add on the other substances.
I dont for a second really doubt his sincerity. I dont doubt his shared faith…and I dont really doubt his personality has been consumed by pain and substances. I’ve known many drug addicts…and to a person…they were good people. Its just they had that almost bipolar personality. Its like they started with that and the substances just snowballed it. They took drugs to deal with an issue..then they became the drugs.
I dont even think about baseball anymore with Hamilton…he has a long life yet…and one that could still have more impact than yanking a few balls out of Yankee Stadium during a home run derby.
I agree.. I watch from a far. I’m not a Rangers fan or Angels fan. Knowing his history, and dealing with people of his addiction from work… that incident definitely didn’t help, that is for sure. I’m sure it helps saying yes to the demons easier than had it not happened. Sad all around.
I concur.
He seems intent on sticking it to the Angels and Arte Moreno.
Hamilton is a chump.
Bet you wouldn’t tell him that to his face
No, I would.
No you wouldn’t cause he would break you in 1/2. Internet tough guy
Except that I’m 6’11 280 lbs and have good knees.
Hamilton would probably injure himself trying.
Soooo? Still wouldn’t stand a chance
Yes sir!
The Angels could have saved their prospects then signed a pair of decent arms for all the $ they wasted on Hamilton, Wells,
Pujols, Mathews, and other players that are no longer around…
You forgot CJ Wilson
Sorry, as much as it might pain you to hear this, but you pretty much got what you paid for in CJ Wilson.
Yup. 5 years, $77 million. Chump change. That’s number 3-4 starter money. Anibal Sanchez got a similar contract after never pitching a full season in the majors as a starter.
I agree….until his injuries last year and this, CJ basically gave LAA the type of production they could have expected. He was never a #1….but like James Shields, was a good 2-3 starter who had a winning record and a reasonable ERA and gave the Angels 200+ innings.
And what prospects did they have to fill those positions at the time? Too many prospects would’ve likely made them a worse team than they were. Most of the Angels’ top prospects that have found success in the last 10-15 years have been starting pitchers, catchers, and infielders. That’s why they went crazy with outfield free agents. Albert was mainly a signing to make a statement that they were serious about continuing to contend after their run. The Angels had needs in the OF and did what they felt they needed to do at the time. Their farm system would not have saved them from those contracts.
Ellsbury and Choo are roughly similar players signed to similar contracts. Choo has a bit more pop, Ellsbury more speed, but both seem to be on the downside. You wonder in the future whether teams are going to draw conclusions as to big contracts for these types of players.
Or any big contract to 30+ year old players. I have a feeling Boston and the Cubs will regret those deals for Price and Heyward. The Rangers probably wish they weren’t faced with several more years of Choo and Fielder. But….it’s the price of doing business and MLB owners seem willing to pay it and then some.
Who wears the pants. Josh or his wife. Man up and make your own decisions. I lost hope during the Angels last playoff series.and no he will never know just how good he could have been.
I think you’re wrong. 2008 Home Run Derby… Josh knows EXACTLY how great he could have been.
As far as wearing the pants… I assume you’ve been in a decade long relationship where you’ve been drunk and on drugs and cheated, and have proven that you couldn’t handle life on your own since you were 18 and are therefore qualified to pass judgement.
Sounds like you’re responding to a completely different thread. He needs surgery. And he knew just how good he could have been 8 years ago.
I hate Hamilton aka hambone
Hamilton is an old 35. Shame, always enjoyed watching him play. The home run derby in New York remains a great baseball memory. Here’s hoping Josh comes back healthy in all regards.
It might be time for him to retire. It’s just one long term injury after another.
He’s not going to quit on that contract. After next year, I can’t imagine many teams will be interested unless he were willing to go to the minors to prove he’s healthy and can play.
He won’t retire and leave that much $$$ on the table. Not his character….
Agree with the poster who said Hamilton is a chump… why? Because he threw Moreno under the bus on his way out of Anaheim. “He knew what he was getting into,” the ingrate said on his way out. And yes, he is a weasel, taking advantage of MLBPA loopholes by reporting his relapse before he could test positive, which meant no suspension or even any rehab. Certainly, Artie Moreno is a chump for even signing this trash (should have kept Torii Hunter at half the price), but I believe Hamilton has an obligation to his employer. He obviously thought differently.
Yamsi12 if your 6’11 280lb, and have good knees. Why are you commenting on a rumor website, and not in the NFL? I think you lied:)
I’m Asian 🙁
If there ever was a year for the Mariners to take advantage of the division’s misfortunes….