Angels Trade Josh Hamilton to Texas Rangers (Official)

[papawealey]

Late to this awesome thread ...surprised at those criticizing Arte. This whole soap opera was premeditated by Hamilton,IMO, when he didn't do the surgery last Fall, but waited to Feb so that he would not be ready for spring training. Maybe, just maybe, Arte values integrity and ethical behavior more than money ( which he has plenty of)

I've been wondering this myself. Why did he wait until February to get routine surgery done? Anybody know whether here's a factual answer out there or is it just speculation?

[yk9001]

I've been wondering this myself. Why did he wait until February to get routine surgery done? Anybody know whether here's a factual answer out there or is it just speculation?

 

Dipoto said they expected it to heal with x months off (the winter).  After the scheduled rehab time, he started swinging again, and suffered more problems.  Hence the surgery late.

 

Of all the sh*t Hamilton has pulled, I take a pass at given him crap for this one.  At least the story sounds plausible.

[gotbeer]

Angels want Josh Hamilton to be playing for someone

 

 

The Rangers will pay less than $7 million of the remaining $83 million left on Hamilton's contract, the Dallas Morning News reported.

 

 

So per a previous conversation regarding the no income tax in Texas.  Looks like the Rangers will get the benefit of it.

[Brandon]

That's absurd.

 

Terrible, terrible move by Arte with nothing coming in return but that amount.

[Erstad Grit]

That's absurd.

 

Terrible, terrible move by Arte with nothing coming in return but that amount.

yup

 

I'd rather force him to be the last guy off the bench until he found he swing or failed a drug test. 

[Troll Daddy]

"It defies logic that Josh's reported behavior is not a violation of his drug program," Angels President John Carpino said.

this statement tells us everything we need to know about the Angels plans for Josh Hamilton. The Angels thought they had him. They thought they were going to get out of his contract.

Right after the ruling came down there was some confusion as to what could be enforced by the team relative to the JDA. Even Arte made some statements that seemed a bit odd and the union refuted his claims.

This may seem sort of conspiracyish, but here is what I think happened.

Josh's agent sold his player under the guise of zero tolerance and for that he wanted his client to get max dollars. The Angels bit but clearly wanted something in writing that would protect them should a violation occur. I think that the Halos were fully aware they could not impose any sort of punishment on their own, but I bet what they did do was to find out what sort of punishment the commissioners office would impose if another violation were to occur. Since he had so many other violations in the past, I bet there was a preordained deal between Josh, his agent/attorneys, the Angels/Arte and the league office that if he were to violate the JDA he would either be done or at least suspended for the remainder of his contract.

The Angels figured that Josh's fate was in the hands of the commissioner and league office who had assured them that there would be a substantial penalty. So from the second that Josh admitted guilt, they had already started distancing themselves and planning for what they thought was going to be the end of Josh's career as a halo

So one of two things happened.

Either Josh and his agent manipulated the JDA and the Angels with a loophole and did so knowingly which would have clearly incensed the front office and made it so they would never want anything to do with this guy ever again

or

Neither side expected this loophole and both parties were actually shocked when they realized the commissioner and league office weren't going to be able to do what was expected.

Josh's withdrawal speaks volumes as well. He either thought he was toast or he knew of the loophole and has been just waiting in the weeds until dust cleared.

Even the commissioners office has been vocally in favor of the Angels. Possibly because they know that they are the ones that screwed the pooch on this by not administering a drug test.

"MLB chief legal officer Dan Halem told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday: “We obviously have a different view than the players’ association regarding the club’s rights under these circumstances.”

Halem declined to comment further.

There was a backroom deal here and I really don't think this is over.

Nice fairy tale Doc ... you should write books.

[Troll Daddy]

The best the organization could hope for was a lengthy suspension. I believe the front office would of been ok with that ... because they had no chance of voiding his contract simply because he had a relapse.

Most of you act like Josh is this out of control drug addict which is far from the truth. Josh has had a few minor relapses over the years but nothing out of control.

[Docwaukee]

I really think this is the first step in order to try and get the rest of his contract nullified.  

 

The commissioners office has been fully supportive of the Halos because they know Josh got away with a bullshit technicality and I think the commissioner was prepared to suspend Josh for a substantial period.  

The halos had to get Josh off the team because if they were to pursue getting out of the contract with Josh on the team it would have been a major clubhouse distraction.  By trading him as opposed to releasing him, the get a small chunk of relief if they can't get out of the deal.  

 

This is going to go to arbitration through the league office.  Josh and his agent agreed to something that has not been upheld and the Angels are pissed off big time.  The league is on the side of the Angels.  

 

This going to get much more interesting.  Remember that they suspended Arod outside the guidelines of the JDA and CBA.  They know they f'd up by not testing Josh and they are going to make it up to the Angels.  Or at least they are going to try.  They are going to try to get a ruling that would allow the league to decide whether the contract is still viable.  

[Docwaukee]

The best the organization could hope for was a lengthy suspension. I believe the front office would of been ok with that ... because they had no chance of voiding his contract simply because he had a relapse.

Most of you act like Josh is this out of control drug addict which is far from the truth. Josh has had a few minor relapses over the years but nothing out of control.

it's not about that.  the Angels knew they had no power to void the contract, but they were relying on the league to take action and that was taken out of the leagues hands when the arbitrator ruled that Josh didn't violate the JDA.  

 

It doesn't matter whether he's an out of control addicts.  He and his agent sold zero tolerance to get max dollars and Halos are expecting them to uphold the spirit of that.  In fact, I think an arbitrator will be asked to rule on a conduct clause as opposed to a drug clause.  

 

Mind you, I don't think the Angels will win.  At the very most they might get some additional relief but in the end, they will likely be stuck with what they currently owe.  

[Troll Daddy]

The commissioners was supportive of a suspension. You're delusional if you think they're going to help the Angels getting his contract voided. There is nothing in his contract saying that a relapse was grounds for termination from what I've read.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Nice fairy tale Doc ... you should write books.

 

At least he came up with a plausible scenario.

[Troll Daddy]

Zero tolerance? I don't remember that being written into his contract. The front office have nobody to blame but themselves. I believe that Josh was very upfront about his addiction. Arte tried to protect himself with language pertaining to his physical and mental health but this is very gray area to interpret. Nothing in his contract says his contract would be voided if he relapsed.

[Troll Daddy]

At least he came up with a plausible scenario.

Plausible and factual are different ... plausible is fiction,

[Docwaukee]

Zero tolerance? I don't remember that being written into his contract. The front office have nobody to blame but themselves. I believe that Josh was very upfront about his addiction. Arte tried to protect himself with language pertaining to his physical and mental health but this is very gray area to interpret. Nothing in his contract says his contract would be voided if he relapsed.

 

my apologies.  clearly you have read his contract and know of all the nuances.  

 

oh wait.  you haven't and you don't.  

 

Yes.  Arte should blame himself.  He trusted someone and then tried to hold them accountable when they burnt him.  

 

So let me take a page from your book of saying something with the utmost conviction so it makes it seem factual:

 

I guarantee that the path the Angels have chosen in dealing with this situation is very much related to what is in Josh's contract or at the very least what was said between Arte and Josh when they sat across a table from one another.  

 

That might not mean much to a lot of people but it does to Arte.  Clearly.  

[Angel Oracle]

I see some sort of compromise.

Maybe Hamilton giving back some $12-15 million, and still leaving him some $68-71 million of which the Halos would be liable for about $61-64 million.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Zero tolerance? I don't remember that being written into his contract.

 

Thank goodness that you're here to tell us exactly what is in it.

[Brandon]

He's worth more replacing Joyce than the bs going on.

 

Play him and hope there is some semblance of how he's played.

[bloodbrother]

Joyce does look pretty goddamn useless out there. This thing is over though. Most reports saying this deal is done sometime on Monday

 

I just hope Arte is done making baseball decisions for good after this

[Docwaukee]

He's worth more replacing Joyce than the bs going on.

 

Play him and hope there is some semblance of how he's played.

he is to the team on the field.  but my guess is that this stopped being about baseball for Arte a while ago.  

 

the monkey wrench in this whole thing is the arbitrator ruling that Josh didn't violate the JDA.  The Angels took a path very early on with how they were going to handle this and it could not be undone.  A path that made it so Josh would never again play for the halos.  What is happening now is collateral damage to that.  Even if they wanted to back off, the damage was done months ago.  

[mp170.6]

Why did the Angels insert extra contract language that now appears extremely difficult, if not impossible, to enforce?  Why didn't the light bulbs go off in Moreno's lawyers' heads about this possibility playing out exactly the way it did? 

 

Everything the Angels have done so far makes them look like the biggest assclowns in baseball. 

[UndertheHalo]

all i have to say is thank god it will soon be over (hopefully tomorrow) Its not my money, i dont give a shit. Im happy that the "Hambone" is going to be gone so I dont have to agonize over whether he'll be worth a damn or not.  Arte is a billionaire and the Angels are more then self sufficient.  Its a failed project, those things happen. The club will be fine, better off in fact.  I have no doubt that the brass will **** up less next time.  Now lets see if we can use the 15 million we're getting to get another bat.  Preferably a 2b or another LF.

[ukyah]

So he can poison the team chemistry?

 

 

except it's not true. they all like him. the fan relationship vs. the player relationship is totally different.

[Angel Oracle]

Joyce does look pretty goddamn useless out there. This thing is over though. Most reports saying this deal is done sometime on Monday

I just hope Arte is done making baseball decisions for good after this

Just to make sure, have JeDi hire an asst GM in charge of hitting, so that no more overpriced veteran hitters are signed by Arte.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

I think Moreno has shitty lawyers.

But that's what happens when you get one by calling 222-2222. But Arte loves a mustachioed Latino man in a suit standing behind simple phone numbers. Loves it.

Well played. Dos Veinte dos veinte dos veinte dos. I imagine most here missed that. Edited April 27, 2015 by SOTO

[Lou]

ha

those beaners don't pay their bills

(i'm referring to the authorneys)

Edited April 27, 2015 by Lou