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Josh Hamilton traded to the Texas Rangers

By FanSided Staff

Aug 4, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels left fielder Josh Hamilton (32) in the dugout in the seventh inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sportss
Aug 4, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels left fielder Josh Hamilton (32) in the dugout in the seventh inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sportss /
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The Los Angeles Angels traded Josh Hamilton to the Texas Rangers after injury and trouble with substance abuse have plagued his career.

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It seems that the Josh Hamilton era in LA has finally come to a conclusion. The Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed on a deal involving the transfer of Hamilton to the Rangers. This deal comes after injuries and a substance abuse problem have plagued the superstar outfielder with the Angels.

Josh Hamilton reportedly had a drug relapse about one year after making the decision to give his drug and alcohol sponsor less responsibilities. Hamilton has a known history with substance abuse and at one point it was thought to have been behind him. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and suspensions surrounding the former All Star seemed all but eminent.

This isn’t the only problem surrounding Hamilton either. Since he was signed to a huge contract in 2013 by the Angels, he has hit well below his average even bottoming out last year hitting just .263 and 10 home runs. Definitely a huge disappointment to what would have been a World Series favorite team if Hamilton could have produced what he used to be capable of.

Their were also rumors surrounding the Angels purposefully leaking information on his relapse so they could more easily get out of the bad contract. But there wasn’t anything in his contract that specifically stated that it would have been voided if Hamilton was caught using drugs or alcohol.

So the next option would be to trade the former MVP. The Rangers have been thirsting for their slugger to return to Texas. It appears they finally got what they wanted. Even though Hamilton was quoted after leaving Texas saying it wasn’t a “baseball town.” At his press conference, Hamilton tried to make amends for leaving the club that helped him produce at an extremely high level and stay clean for a number of year.

This implies a number of things regarding the structure of the Rangers. Let’s say that Hamilton cannot return to the stature he once was for the Rangers back in 2010. At the very least he will be a solid pinch hitter or DH who can supply 15-20 home runs and maybe even hit for a decent average. The Rangers are currently 17th in the MLB in run support. So adding Hamilton can’t really hurt anything.

Meanwhile, the Angels are doing just fine without Hamilton. Their young slugger, Mike Trout, continues to produce excellent numbers on the offensive end. He recently became the youngest player to reach 100 home runs and steal 100 bases. Jared Weaver and C.J. Wilson will only improve as they settle in at the top of the rotation for the Angels. So it looks like this trade will help both teams get what they want.

I hope that Josh Hamilton finds the same success in Texas that he once had. Not just on the field, but also off of it. Staying clean is something everyone in the MLB wishes on Hamilton. The Rangers might be able to help the outfielder do just that.

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