As you have surely already heard by now, the Angels shocked the baseball world for the second consecutive winter by signing free agent outfielder, Josh Hamilton to a five-year contract worth $125 million. Hamilton was widely considered the top free agent position player on the market, and it was assumed that he would resign with the Angels’ division rival, the Texas Rangers. But that all changed once the Halos swooped in.
Well, holy $@#$%^&*, right?
Josh Hamilton is an Angel, and this isn’t a video game, and we aren’t talking about some bizarre fantasy league that uses actual team names. This move opens up a ton of avenues for the rest of this offseason.
Hamilton could break down tomorrow and miss a hundred games, or he could win a Triple Crown and, subsequently, an MVP award. Because that’s what happens when you win the Triple Crown.
The most enjoyable part of running Halos Daily is the interaction with the biggest Angels fans. This contract is incredibly risky, and it’s going to take a few hours, or weeks, for me to digest and respond to it, but what does everyone else think? Is this a bad move? Is it a great move? Do the Angels need to win a World Series for this deal to make sense?
Drop a few comments and let’s break this thing down together!
In a truly stunning move, the Angels have agreed with Josh Hamilton on a 5-year deal worth $125 million.
After failing to sign Zack Greinke, the Angels allocated their money for Hamilton, the premier slugger on the market, who hit 43 homers for the Rangers last season and led baseball in isolated power (.292). He is likely slotted to replace Torii Hunter in right field.
The move also gives the Angels a surplus of outfielders. With Mike Trout and Hamilton as obvious starters, the Angels also have Peter Bourjos, Mark Trumbo, and Vernon Wells on the roster. One would assume the Angels will try to aggressively shop Bourjos and Trumbo, two young promising players that are cheap and have years of team control left, for another solid starting pitcher. R.A. Dickey is an obvious candidate. Either way, expect plenty of rumors in the coming days.
We’ll have much more analysis as further details emerge and after we can all take a deep breath. In short, the Angels now have what may be the most potent offense in baseball, with a terrific blend of speed and power. Assuming the Angels do trade for another starter, they figure to contend for the AL pennant in 2013.
Sean Burnett should be a huge help to the Angels bullpen in 2013.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Angels came to terms with relief pitcher, Sean Burnett on a two-year deal worth $8 million, with a club option for a third season.
Over the past four years with the Pirates and Nationals, Burnett has quietly become one of the best left-handed relievers in the game. From 2009 to 2012, he has pitched an average of 58 innings per season, with a 2.85 ERA and a 142 ERA+. The 30-year-old has also been worth 4.7 wins above replacement over that span.
Joe Blanton surrendered just 34 walks in 2012, but he allowed an alarming 29 round-trippers.
Multiple reports indicate that the Angels have agreed to a two-year, $15 million contract with free agent starting pitcher Joe Blanton. The 31-year-old is not going to win a Cy Young, but he will stomach innings and he’s a nice addition to a club that lacked rotation depth in 2012.
