Sports

Hamilton’s deal with Angels has ramifications that stretch way beyond SoCal

Josh Hamilton agreed to a five-year, $125 million contract with the Angels yestrerday and, ladies and gentlemen, let the fallout begin:

1. So much for L.A. being laidback, at least when it comes to roster building. The two clubs with Los Angeles in front of their names are playing a game of anything-you-can-spend-we-can-spend-higher in attempt to gain marketplace supremacy. The Dodgers signed the best pitcher in free agency, Zack Greinke, for $147 million last week, and the Angels countered with the best hitter available.

And you have to look at this as a counterpunch. The Angels had become edgy with how much the Dodgers were dominating the SoCal baseball universe, as the Dodgers’ new ownership has now invested $650 million-ish in players since taking over last May. Greinke felt like a final push to action, since the Angels had obtained him last July for three of their better prospects and had devised an offseason strategy around retaining him.

Instead, Angels owner Arte Moreno redirected the money allocated for Greinke toward a player who appeared a secondary consideration, moving one AL executive to call this “a [bleeping] stupid overreaction. It was last second, emotional and knee jerk.”

2. The Rangers were shut out just five times all of last season, but at least four times already this offseason. They wanted to sign Greinke or Hamilton, or trade for James Shields or Justin Upton. A deal for Upton still may be possible, but it dimmed considerably once the Diamondbacks got a young shortstop, Didi Gregorious, from the Reds. Texas now might become a stronger player for Nick Swisher, who also is being courted by Cleveland and Seattle.

So it was not just a move for SoCal superiority that led the Angels to Hamilton. It also was about the AL West, since the Rangers and Mariners also wanted the lefty slugger.

3. The Angels have done an about-face. They didn’t pick up Dan Haren’s option and traded Ervin Santana with the idea of re-signing Greinke and addressing the top of the rotation. Instead, they signed the most expensive position player for a second straight offseason (Albert Pujols last year) and will unite those former MVPs with 2012 MVP runner-up Mike Trout in what should be a powerful lineup.

But the Angels still need that high-end starter and, theoretically, could use slugger Mark Trumbo or fleet defensive ace Peter Bourjos as a trade linchpin, which is why there was so much quick speculation about R.A. Dickey, since the Mets so badly need outfielders. However, I was told the Angels are not currently in on Dickey, and outside executives said they sense the Angels’ preference is to trade DH Kendry Morales (to open that for Trumbo) and pay down as much of the two years at $42 million that is necessary to deal Vernon Wells.

4. The Angels have taken a huge risk. Hamilton has a well-known addiction problem and is leaving a cocoon he knows for something nearer TMZ Central. He is physically brittle. He slumped badly down the stretch. He struck out by far a career-high 162 times. Still, Hamilton remains among the most skilled players in the game.

“I really like this deal for the Angels — if they can afford it, why not?” one NL personnel man said. “They were predominantly righty hitting in their lineup, and he is far and away the best player in the market, and they just weakened their main rival (Texas).”

5. The most aggressive teams are not the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies. The Yankees continue to obsess on staying under $189 million for 2014. The Red Sox signed Ryan Dempster yesterday, but that fits into their mid-market buildup with players such as Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli. The Phillies hated the prices for what they needed, a center fielder, so much that they traded for Ben Revere.

The go-for-it teams are the Angels, Dodgers, Royals, Blue Jays and Reds, who all have made huge investments in either money and/or prospects to go all-in for 2013-14. But there is this word of caution: More than any teams, you can argue the Angels and Dodgers went for it last year in emptying their wallets and farm systems. Yet neither even made the playoffs. The pressure to do so now — and more — for both sides of this L.A. stare down is as immense as anything the Yankees or Red Sox ever faced.

joel.sherman@nypost.com