Josh Hamilton trade to Rangers completed

On April 27, 2015, in LA Angels, Texas

The Los Angeles Angels entered the weekend with a deal in place to trade 2010 American League MVP Josh Hamilton to the Texas Rangers, and they are coming out of it with that deal completed.

The Rangers announced Monday they will trade a player to be named later or cash considerations for Hamilton, who has struggled in two seasons with the Angels since leaving Texas as a free agent.

"I had a lot of good memories here," Hamilton said during a Monday afternoon news conference. "I'm back here. I'm back home. I'm going to give everything I've got."

Hamilton, 33, hasn’t played in 2015. His relationship with the Angels had deteriorated since he suffered a self-reported substance abuse relapse this offseason but then was not punished by Major League Baseball. The Angels still owed him $83 million through 2017 on his original five-year, $125 million deal.

FOX Sports baseball insider Ken Rosenthal reported Monday, citing a source, that Hamilton vetoed a trade to another team that would not have required him to relinquish any cash before a deal to return to Texas was finalized. Rosenthal reports that the Rangers' obligation to Hamilton will be less than $7 million over three years and that the size of his buyout with the Angels on the remander of his contract is not yet known.

“Over the course of the last few weeks, it became clear that Josh wanted to return to Texas,” Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. “After several discussions with the Rangers, we were able to complete a trade that in the end is the right decision for everyone involved.” In recent weeks, Angels owner Arte Moreno had declined to say publicly that Hamilton would play for the team again. Even two weeks ago, Hamilton’s rehabilitation from offseason shoulder surgery had advanced to the point that he was ready to resume a greater level of baseball activity. However, at no point did the Angels say publicly they were prepared to welcome him back to their spring training facility or home clubhouse at Angel Stadium.

On the 15-day disabled list while with the Angels, Hamilton took a physical and will report Tuesday to the Rangers' spring training complex in Surprise, Ariz. Rangers GM Jon Daniels said the Rangers expect Hamilton will be activated during the second half of May.

"At the end of the day this is a pretty easy decision for us," Daniels said, calling Hamilton "a player we feel can be productive and help us win games."

Hamilton hit .255 with 31 home runs and 123 RBI in 240 games with the Angels. Prior to that, he was an All-Star in each of his five seasons with Texas, two of which (2010, 2011) ended in trips to the World Series.

"It didn't work out on the field. It didn't work out off the field," Dipoto said during a conference call. "From beginning to end, this is not what we planned. This is not the way we envisioned any of this playing out from the moment we signed Josh. ... At the end of the day, this is what we felt this was best for the team, that we were able to clear the air, that we were able to move forward with the group of 25 that we have on the field today."