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Angels’ Josh Hamilton could face year long suspension from MLB

ByKyle Franzoni|

An independent arbitrator could decide that Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton could face a one year suspension from Major League Baseball

The immediate baseball future of Josh Hamilton now lies in the hands of an independent arbitrator after a four-person panel was unable to decide the appropriate punishment for the slugger’s latest drug relapse. The panel, which was asked to determine whether Hamilton violated Major League Baseball’s drug policy and was tasked to determine the right course of action in terms of suspension and treatment, was deadlocked on on Wednesday and unable to come to a joint agreement, according the Los Angeles Times.

The four person panel was comprised of doctors and lawyers appointed by both Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. As such, they were at odds as to the treatment program that Hamilton would need to enter and in particular the length suspension that would be handed down. As you can guess when there are representatives from the Players Union and MLB, the biggest issue would be whether suspension (i.e. loss of salary) is the correct route to take.

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According to the Times, if Hamilton is put into a rehab treatment program, but is not officially suspended, he would stand to make $6.2 million while in the facility, earning his full salary for the first 30 days and half his salary for the remaining 30 days of the 60 day stay. However if Hamilton receives a suspension, it will be without pay, as are all Major League Baseball suspensions.

And that’s where things get a bit tricky. Normally, first time offenders are held to a 15-25 game suspension, with possible lengths escalating to 25-50 games for a second offense, 50-75 games for a third mark, and at least one year for a fourth offense of the league’s drug of abuse policy. However, at question is how many tests Hamilton has failed as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays 40-man roster. If he was not on the 40-man roster, than the tests fall under the minor league policy and not the Major League count. As the Times reports, Hamilton has been known to have failed at least six tests while in the Rays organization, and was suspended from Major League Baseball 2004 to 2006 until Bud Selig lifted that suspension.

That in mind, the conversation at hand is whether to handle Josh Hamilton’s latest offense as a fourth time offender, which would put him out of the game for a complete season.

Since being reinstated into the league in 2007, the 33-year-old outfielder has put together five All-Star campaigns and took home the American League MVP award as a member of the Texas Rangers in 2010. From 2007 through 2012, Josh Hamilton put together a .304/.363/.549 batting line with a total of 161 home runs and 553 RBI in six seasons between the Cincinnati Reds and the Rangers.

However, things have not been so shiny and new for Hamilton since he signed a 5-year, $125 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels prior to the 2013 season. In two seasons with the Halos, Hamilton has become a bust, slashing .255/.316/.426 with a total of 31 home runs and 123 RBI. He missed 73 games in 2014 due to a shoulder injury and tried to rehab the injury, but was forced to undergo surgery to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder on February 4th. That surgery was expected to keep Hamilton on the sidelines for the first 12 weeks of the season.

Three weeks later, Hamilton initiated contact with Major League Baseball to self-report his latest relapse, and that appears likely to cost him more time as we await the arbitrator’s decision.

(h/t Deadspin)

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