MLB and MLBPA on opposite sides of Josh Hamilton arbitration: Who will win?

Josh Hamilton’s latest troubles regarding his high-profile battle with substance abuse has Major League Baseball and its players’ union tangled up in another arbitration battle.

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The Los Angeles Angels made a bonehead decision when they signed Josh Hamilton to a five-year, $125 million contract back in 2013. Just two years into the experiment, it appears that the Angels have seen enough to want him out the door, and they are holding out hope that the former MVP’s latest relapse in his battle with substance abuse will help rid the organization of his abomination of a contract.

Angels owner Arte Moreno told reporters last Friday that the organization did make a provision in Hamilton’s massive contract that protects the team in case that the embattled outfielder suffered from another drug relapse, like the one he had this offseason, when he admitted to using alcohol and cocaine during another setback in his recovery this February. Unfortunately for the Angels, they appear to be stuck with his contract for the foreseeable future.

Thanks to stipulations in Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, Hamilton’s contract is protected for several reasons, and considering that the Angels are already on the hook for the $23 million salary they owe the outfielder this offseason, do not expect any legal battles to begin in the near future.

Moreno could attempt to recoup some of the $60 million that the team owes Hamilton during the final two years of his contract in 2016 and 2017, but even that looks like a long shot. The Collective Bargaining Agreement dictates that decisions made by themselves and the Joint Drug Agreement override stipulations in team contracts. Being that Hamilton has been cleared of wrongdoing by both parties, largely due to his decision to admit his relapse and get the help he needs despite not failing a drug test, the ability to fight that clause and prevail are unlikely.

The bottom line here is the Angels made a horrible decision three offseasons ago to sign Hamiton, and barring any shocking new developments, they will be forced to deal with their high-cost. The only way for the organization to get out of this debacle is to trade Hamilton. Given his massive contract combined with the constant off the field worries, I just do not see any team taking on that risk.

The Los Angeles Angels threw ridiculous money at an aging former All-Star with big expectations, and it simply did not work. It is time for Arte Moreno and his organization to man up and pay for their pricey mistake.

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