For the second straight offseason, the Angels have landed the best free-agent hitter on the market.
Former Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton has agreed to a five-year, $125 million contract with the rival Angels, The Post’s Joel Sherman confirmed Thursday afternoon. The Rangers and Mariners had been in negotiations with Hamilton, but he’ll instead go with another AL West team. The Angels nabbed Albert Pujols last year with a massive 10-year, $240 million contract. Despite that signing and the addition of starter C.J. Wilson at last year’s Winter Meetings the Angels finished four games out of the playoffs with an 89-73 record.
Hamilton, 31, hit .285 with 43 home runs and 128 RBIs this past season and has a .304 career average.
Initially this deal opened an avenue for a potential RA Dickey landing spot, but word is that the Angels are not “currently” trying for Dickey. Mark Trumbo and Peter Bourjos could hit the trading block with the Hamilton addition.
The Mets have been stalling a Dickey move as long as possible, The Post has reported, to wait for the Zack Greinke and James Shields situations to play out. Trumbo would offer power, but limited defense, while Bourjos is an excellent defender in the outfield and has speed.
Texas had hoped to sign the 2010 AL Most Valuable Player, who led the Rangers to consecutive World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.
Speaking Thursday after a Rangers’ holiday luncheon, GM Jon Daniels said he had just been informed of the decision by Hamilton’s agent, Michael Moye.
Daniels said he was disappointed “to some degree,” especially since the Rangers never got a chance to match any offer as had been expected during the process. Or at least get contacted before he agreed with another team.
“I never expected that he was going to tell us to the dollar what they had, and a chance to offer it. Our full expectation, the phone call was going to be before he signed, and certainly not after,” Daniels said. “Everybody’s got to make their own calls.”
With AP