They say you can’t go home again. Josh Hamilton is hoping they’re wrong.
In early February, Hamilton underwent shoulder surgery. Then, a few weeks later, he admitted he’d “suffered a relapse in his battle with substance abuse,” as Mike DiGiovanna and Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times put it.
He’s yet to play a game for the Los Angeles Angels this season, and now he’s leaving town. His destination? Arlington, Texas.
Yes, as CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman confirmed, the Texas Rangers have agreed to acquire Hamilton from the Angels, bringing the controversial outfielder back to where it all began.
OK, technically Hamilton made his big league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2007, but his best years came in a Rangers uniform.
Texas is where he made five straight All-Star appearances, won an American League MVP Award in 2010 and guided the Rangers to two consecutive World Series appearances.
Hamilton parlayed his Lone Star success into a five-year, $125 million contract with the Angels prior to the 2013 season. His production dipped significantly in the deal’s first year, but he did hit 21 home runs and appear in 151 games.
Last season, the wheels truly came off. The 33-year-old missed nearly half the season to injury and, while he returned for the division series against the Kansas City Royals, he went hitless in 13 at-bats as the Angels were swept.
The relapse revelation, however, was a backbreaker for his relationship with the Halos.
Hamilton chronicled his drug and alcohol abuse in a 2010 autobiography titled Beyond Belief. The book’s subtitle, “Finding the strength to come back,” could also apply to this next chapter of his career.
A former No. 1 overall pick, Hamilton has always had the raw talent to be an elite player. He’s moving out of his prime years, and injuries have taken their toll, but a Texas rebirth seems possible, if not probable.
At the very least, a change of scenery will allow Hamilton to distance himself from the toxic saga that’s played out over the past two months, as MLB mulled the possibility of a suspension and the Angels front office implied it might be able to void his contract.
In the end, an outside arbitrator ruled the league could not take action and the contract stood, as Sports Illustrated‘s Michael McCann reported.
The damage, though, was done. One way or another, it was clear Hamilton and the Angels’ rocky marriage had to end. The only problem: It’s no simple feat to move a declining veteran with an injury history, personal baggage and three years and $83 million left on the ledger.
Enter the Rangers, who will shell out about $15 million, with Los Angeles picking up the rest, per Yahoo Sports‘ Jeff Passan.
Passan characterizes Hamilton’s departure from Texas after the 2012 season as “bitter.” USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale conjured the outfielder’s comments from when that time, when he declared Arlington was “not a true baseball town.”
Apparently there was enough love left to make a reunion enticing, or at least palatable.
“He was here before, so we know him,” Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre said after news of the impending deal broke, per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. “If he can help us win games, I’m open to it.”
After a disappointing, snake-bitten 2014 season, the Rangers are again mired under .500. This is a team in search of a spark.
Can Hamilton provide it? We won’t know until the shoulder heals, and he returns to the field. A cynic could certainly find plenty of reasons to assume the worst. Steamer projects a pedestrian .245/.309/.409 slash line, per FanGraphs.
Then again, Hamilton has risen from the ashes before.
Last February, the Los Angeles Times‘ DiGiovanna reported there was talk of turning Hamilton’s story into a movie. A script had been written, and Casey Affleck was attached to direct.
Asked about it, Hamilton offered a curiously prescient answer.
“It’s set up pretty good, isn’t it?” he said. “And the story is not close to being over.”
The question now is whether it’ll have a happy ending.
All statistics current as of April 24 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.
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