Texas Rangers Should Have Paid Josh Hamilton
The day after Josh Hamilton hit an American League record four home runs and 18 total bases it is quite clear, the Texas Rangers should have paid the slugger when they had the chance.
Hamilton deserves to be paid and is going to get a mega-contract once the season ends, whether the Rangers are the ones to give it to him or not. He is one of the best players in baseball and some will argue he is the very best. Matt Kemp? He never put up a four home run game, although he is certainly capable of it.
Hamilton scorched all four out-of-the-parkers and hit a double for good measure to make it a 5-for-5 night. The All-Star slugger is batting .406 with an astonishing 14 homers and 36 RBI in 106 plate appearances. The Rangers could have had him at a “bargain” price but his widely publicized alcohol relapse ended all negotiations. Hamilton basically taunted the team for stopping talks about a long-term deal as he told them they would regret not signing him before the season. The man is on a mission to prove Texas wrong and to everyone else how powerful he can be.
If anyone out there, especially the Rangers, thinks Hamilton is not going to get huge contract offers once he hits the free agent market is crazy. There are teams that will not care about his off-the-field demons as long as he stays sober and swings a hot bat. Obviously, considering his past it is hard to be certain he will remain clean, but that is still a chance many teams will take. There is a reason why Texas went to back-to-back World Series and Hamilton had a lot do with it. Any team trying to get over the hump can see Hamilton will take them there.
Hamilton has put up monster numbers the last few seasons, disregarding his injury plagued 2009 year. This alone proves his worth and it seems he is going to put another MVP-caliber season for good measure.
There is no doubt he is upset with the way the Rangers handled his contract negotiations, similar to how Albert Pujols felt towards the St. Louis Cardinals at the end of the 2011 season. Hamilton is using those emotions to power his way to the top. He may pave the way to another AL Pennant and World Series berth, and maybe this time the Rangers will actually win it. He will also walk out of town, just like Pujols did, and sign with the highest bidder.
