How badly did the Angels want to get rid of Josh Hamilton? So badly that they are paying the majority of the salary he is owed just so the Texas Rangers will take him back.
Yahoo MLB reporter Jeff Passan says the Rangers are only paying about $15 million of the $83 million Hamilton is owed through 2017, meaning the Angels are paying the remainder.
Sources: Rangers are expected to pay around $15M of Josh Hamilton's salary. He's due more than $80M through 2017. Angels pay the difference.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 24, 2015
Angels wanted Josh Hamilton gone and are paying ~$65M to make it happen. Rangers get a $15M lottery ticket that could be worth much more.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 24, 2015
That’s a lot of money just to dump a guy, and it doesn’t help that Hamilton is going to a division rival. Let’s also remember that despite Arte Moreno desperately wanting to get rid of Hamilton (can you say buyer’s remorse?), the outfielder was moderately productive with the Angels, hitting 31 home runs in his two seasons with the team. Now that he’ll be back in a familiar place, it’s not inconceivable that he might improve and therefore hurt the Angels when they face each other.
What a disaster by the Angels.
