Can Josh Hamilton Become Fantasy Relevant Again?

In what was a pretty quiet move earlier this week, the Texas Rangers reacquired maligned outfielder Josh Hamilton. Hamilton’s offseason news didn’t have anything to do with his baseball skills or even his injury history. The headlines were littered with news of yet another relapse.

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If you or anyone close to you is addicted to anything, you know what a battle it is to not only quit, but to stay off of whatever vice is the issue. Hamilton is no different. Just because he is a baseball player doesn’t mean that he is not human.

The Angels gave up a lot of money to get Hamilton, and it will go down as the worst free agent signing in the club’s history. It is not for us to say who is at fault. All we know for sure is that Hamilton did pretty well managing his addiction while with the Rangers. Maybe the team had a good support system for him. Maybe they kept a better eye on him than the Angels did. Who knows. What all of us fantasy players want to know is whether he is worth a roster spot in our fantasy leagues.

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Hamilton is still recovering from a shoulder injury, and is expected to be out for at least another two weeks. An arbitrator ruled that Hamilton will not be suspended for his latest relapse, meaning that as soon as his shoulder is healthy, he can take the field again. Once he returns, Jake Smolinski will be reduced to a bench role.

Was this a good move for the Rangers? The Angels were likely to cut Hamilton anyway, and Texas could have signed him for much less money, and wouldn’t have had to give up the proverbial “player to be named.” I’m guessing that this was some ego petting by the Rangers, and that might not be a bad thing. Hamilton’s psyche is likely rather fragile after another injury and another relapse. It probably does wonders for him to feel wanted.

The best years of Hamilton’s career were in Texas. He was even won an MVP award in 2010. It seems like so long ago because of the disaster that was his tenure with the Angels. Hamilton is still only 33 years old. His best years are behind him, but that doesn’t mean that he is completely washed up.

It seems obvious that Texas has some kind of support system for Hamilton in place. His track record in a Rangers uniform proves that. The Rangers likely still have a plan for him or they wouldn’t have taken the risk.

This is a risk that could pay off huge for Texas. They need another bat around Prince Fielder. In the grand scheme of things, they had to give up little to get Hamilton. He could help propel them to a playoff berth, and once you are there, anything can happen.

It is hard to ignore just how good Hamilton was in his five years with the Rangers. He held a .305 average with 142 home runs and 506 RBI in 647 games. That averages out to nearly 30 homers and 101 RBI per year in 110 games.

While his numbers likely won’t quite be that good, it is possible that he could appear in 110 games this year if he plays nearly every day once he returns. I wouldn’t rule out a .280 average with around 20 homers and 75 RBI or so. That is good enough for any league, especially when you consider the rash of injuries that has ravaged MLB so far this year.

As of now, Hamilton is only owned in 8 percent of ESPN leagues. If you have an open DL slot or a deep bench, I would recommend stashing him. He could be a nice surprise for you down the stretch.

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