The Rangers announced that they have activated outfielder Josh Hamilton from the 60-day disabled list and placed him on unconditional release waivers. Per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (links to Twitter), the move is somewhat procedural in nature, as the club could look to sign him to a minor league deal after the season, and Hamilton has previously expressed a willingness to return in such an arrangement. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, in fact, tweets that Hamilton said last month that he expected to be released and sign a minor league pact this winter.
Hamilton missed the entire 2016 season due to a knee injury that proved to be more serious than initially believed. Hamilton was originally diagnosed with a torn meniscus but ultimately underwent an ACL reconstruction as well. He appeared in 50 games with Texas last season, batting .253/.291/.441 with eight homers in 182 plate appearances.
“We plan to monitor Josh’s progress as he continues his rehab process and is medically cleared this winter,” GM Jon Daniels explained to reporters (Twitter link via Grant). “Given the rules in place, releasing him before the end of this month allows us to keep the door open to extending the relationship in the future.” Had the Rangers waited until the offseason to release him, Hamilton wouldn’t have been eligible to return to the Major Leagues with Texas until May 15 of next season.
Good luck Josh, keep your nose clean buddy
Love how this was the first comment
I’m probably a few years older than you, that was a very common saying that meant “stay out of trouble” sorry for any confusion, I meant no drug reference whatsoever
Guy is such a waste of talent.
I wouldn’t say he’s a waste of talent by any means. The man made some mistakes as a kid, but turned his life around and has had a pretty great career. Not sure how that’s really a wast of talent
Guys made some big mistakes as an adult as well.
Guy should be embarrassed to cash his checks
when he was producing big numbers for Texas, he was underpaid. this is how baseball works for better or worse. the Angels gambled on him and lost. I doubt Josh is happy about what has happened the last four years, either. yes, he has the money but there’s more to life than that.
Yea, like blow.
Could of been so much more.
Somewhere in California, Arte Moreno is starting the process to sign Hamilton to another 10 year $250 mil deal.
Yes, I know that the last deal wasn’t that long, before somebody points that out…
The last deal wasn’t that long..
The last deal wasn’t that long…
The last deal wasn’t that long
The last deal wasn’t that long
The last deal *only seemed* that long
Arte Morono is paying this guy $52.8M total for him to not play at all in 2016 and for him to probably not play next year too.
Bigger question: Who needs a total management overhaul – from ownership to front office to on-field – more, the Angels or Diamondbacks? Both teams seem content to let their GMs just fail miserably at their jobs for years on end. MLB should force them both to sell their teams and bring in people who understand how baseball in 2016 works, because not one person in either organization currently does. Both are pathetically run and an embarrassment to the game.
The problem is Moreno is the owner
It’s been a rough 2 (?) years for Arizona, but I wouldn’t put a bow on it and call it a bust just yet.
I was reading that the owner has been vetoing moves by the D’Back’s GM ever since that bad Shellby Miller trade.. This was his answer to a trade bust? No wonder you havent seen any promising rebuilding there
Angels are an embarrassment to the game? look at the consistency of success in the 21st century before you call a team an embarrisment bud. sure they made a couple mistakes but nowhere near an embarrisment. stick to your own team.
Even with only one playoff appearance the last 6 years, they’ve been consistently in contention. This will also be their first 90 loss season of the century…
exactly my point Ryan.
The issue is Arte, not the front office. He’s an involved owner, and when he sees a player he wants, he goes and gets, GM be damned. He did it for Pujols, he did it for Hamilton, and he did it for pretty much every other mega free agent they’ve signed during his ownership. The front office hasn’t been spectacular, but they’ve been a bit hamstrung by the lack of first round draft picks (due to FA signings) and working around the several contract albatrosses.
He only did that in 2012 and 2013. He’s backed off in the last 3 offseasons. People who still think he’s a meddling owner are just hanging on to old media narratives.
With all the money coming off the books this year who’ll be the next one: Bautista, Cespedes, or maybe even a monster deal to Beltran? I’d also include Chapman and Jansen but they’re probably too young for Arte..
I agree. Does it really need to be a decision between the 2?
If ownership allows teams to be run with borderline incompetence, where is the real problem here? It isn’t the front office, it’s the owner. Because baseball owners can do whatever they want, we as fans, are stuck with the product.
What I learned from the movie the Lion King is that we need these bottom feeding non-producers to exist…. So others can thrive?
I would say there there are times when the Angels fan base an embarrassment to the game. And I hate to say it but almost every fan of other sports franchises I know would agree with me on that. Angels fans who whine and cry because they’ve only made the playoffs once in the last 6 years despite constantly being in contention needs to take a time machine back 20 years and watch the Royals, Pirates, Tigers, and Phillies of the time period and hug their puppy while they’re doing it. You want to sulk about not winning? Watch the Angels from 1992-1996. Angels fans still have it pretty good.
I wouldn’t be surprised is Fartie does it again…
Good luck, Josh. Always liked watching Hamilton play. Get back to baseball, JH.
So why release him now, when he still has another year on his deal?
My best guess is luxury tax implications? But the Angels are paying all but $2 million this season so I’m not sure.
i would guess the rangers want his roster spot for someone else.. they can always bring him back during the winter. i just don’t think his body can do this anymore.
guys on the 60 day DL don’t take up roster spots… it seems to be a mystery as to why they would bother with this move
Drop him with a injury settlement? And the ability to resign him in the winter to a minor league deal with incentives
It says it in the article. If they release him after the season, they can’t re-sign him until May 15th. Releasing him now allows them to sign him to a new, Minor League deal, over the winter. It was procedural. He’s not playing this year. Next year and the future’s in question, but both sides are willing to see what happens. There’s no financial constraints in this situation as the Angels are paying the bulk of his salary. Hamilton even agreed to it basically. He was insulted by it or anything. He knew from the business standpoint, this was likely, and says that they do want him there. Seems odd given that they released him, but it does work out that way.
Correction, he *WASN’T* insulted by it. Missed that typo.
But why releases him at all if the plan is to resign him? He would clear waivers to be outrughted off the 40 man, and if he’s healthy enough to be activated from the 60 day DL, why wouldn’t he want to go get a few at bats in the low minors before the season is over?
what Makaio6 wrote makes perfect sense. to release him now allows them to resign him to a minor league deal this winter. he can then rehab with the Rangers and go to spring training to see if he has anything left. he couldn’t do that if they released him after the season. to play again in the low minors right now isn’t important for Josh. he needs to heal and rehab completely if that’s possible. rushing things could only lead to more problems. it’s a win-win for both sides if Josh is healthy and can still hit. remember, he’s 35 right now and hasn’t had a good season in four years.
It’s also about the roster spot during the off season. He is under contract for another season with the Angels paying his salary. If the Ranger kept him they would have to put him back on the 40-man roster after the World Series or release him then and lose him until May 15 as others have mentioned. This was, they can resign him to a minor league contract this off season.
Ya what a waste… AL MVP, couple runner ups, going to have made well over 100 million playing baseball at the highest level… He should really be ashamed of himself!
Hard to have faith in a guy that when after he hits the ball, he snorts up the white line all the way to 1st base.
Josh if the Cubs call go man your better than Coglin and you can be the 2nd LHPH with LaStella
5 years ago who would have thought Arod, Hamilton, Teixeira, and Fielder would all be finishing their careers this way and with this little of fanfare.