Should The Angels Give Josh Hamilton A Look?

Josh Hamilton has loved him some Angels pitching throughout his career as a Texas Ranger. Hamilton has hit .303 with 14 home runs and 55 RBI in 74 games against the Angels, with a .355 OBP and a .903 OPS. By all accounts, it looks like Hamilton won’t be a part of the Rangers ball club next year. Should the Angels give him a look?

Oct 5, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton (32) warms up before the game against the Baltimore Orioles in the 2012 American League wild card playoff game at Rangers Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE

Hamilton is a power, left-handed bat, something the Angels really don’t have. All of the Angels power bats are Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo who are right-handed. Kendrys Morales is a switch hitter. (No I’m not counting Torii Hunter right now). Speaking of Hunter, if the Angels were to sign Hamilton, Hunter would no longer be on the team, which a lot of the fan-base wouldn’t like since he is a fan favorite.

We all know that Hamilton has immense talent, however there are other factors that go into it. Hamilton’s past history of drug and alcohol abuse obviously raises some flags. It may cause him to not be as able to play the outfield as much as you would like due to durability issues. He already had some weird injuries this year, like the sinus issues, and you have to expect more of these moving forward.

The Angels would have to make accommodations for Hamilton, like having a coach or someone like that to take care of his money on the road and things like that like the Rangers have. Hamilton looked very lost down the stretch of this season as well as being criticized for lack of effort down the stretch, including that fly ball that he lost in the sun against Oakland in the last game of the season.

Arte Moreno may not be a happy camper after missing out on the playoffs, but Hamilton may not be the answer to the Angels’ prayers. I think they would be better off using their money to re-sign Zack Greinke and upgrade the pitching staff than going and getting another slugger. Hamilton would fill a need, he just may not be a good fit.