The Angels are paying Josh Hamilton $73 million to go away
The former MVP has been traded to his former team, the Texas Rangers.
Hamilton's five-year, $125 million contract was already a problem for the Angels due to lack of production in his first two seasons with the club. But the contract became a nightmare this offseason when Hamilton had a drug relapse and an arbitrator ruled that Major League Baseball could not suspend him, making the Angels obligated to pay his 2015 salary of $23 million.
Instead of hoping to salvage some value out of the contract, Angels owner Arte Moreno seemed to make it clear that the Angels did not want Hamilton back and now we know just how far they were willing to go to make Hamilton go away.
Of the roughly $80 million left on Hamilton's contract for this season and the next two, the Rangers will only pay ~$7 million according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
That means the Angels will pay Hamilton about $73 million over the next three seasons to play for their division rival.
Hamilton was officially traded for cash or a player to be named later. However, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the wording is just a formality and that the Rangers "aren't giving up anything."
Hamilton, who has been suspended several times from MLB for drug violations, is returning to the team he enjoyed his most success with. Hamilton averaged 28 home runs per year in five seasons with the Rangers and won the 2010 American League MVP award.