Update 3:20 PM
In fact have been told #Angels aren/t 1 of teams currently trying to obtain Dickey. So guess we could stop Bourjos or Trumbo thoughts. #Mets
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 13, 2012
Other teams asked about Mark Trumbo, and been told that he’s not available; the Angels have said they are keeping him.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 13, 2012
Well then… It should also be known that the Red Sox have signed Ryan Dempster, which might actually eliminate another potential trade partner for RA Dickey. Dempster’s deal is worth $26.5 million over two years.
Update 2:30 PM (Satish Ram)
Source: #Angels, Hamilton in agreement. Five-year deal, as first reported by @jonmorosi.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 13, 2012
ESPNDallas is reporting that it is a five-year deal worth $125 MM dollars.
So for the second straight offseason, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have signed the top position player on the market. Last year, it was Albert Pujols and this year, Josh Hamilton. This deal basically came out of nowhere and went down during the course of today. The Angels will surrender their first round pick, which was #22, and the Rangers will receive a compensatory pick later in the draft as well. As pointed out on MLBTR, Hamilton now joins a lineup that already has Albert Pujols and Mike Trout.
Rangers GM Jon Daniels is disappointed at the way the negotiations went, as the Rangers were supposedly never given an opportunity to match the offer. The Mariners were supposedly the front runners in signing Hamilton before today.
This immediately becomes important to the Mets, as the Angels were previously interested in RA Dickey and now have a surplus of outfielders. Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo are each trade candidates for the Mets in their own right, as Hamilton and Trout will occupy two out of the three outfield spots for the Angels. As Adam mentions under me, the Angels also have Vernon Wells under contract.
One should also not count out Texas, as they may make a play for Upton now, or make a more serious run at RA Dickey. Either way, it looks like the hot stove for the Mets indirectly just got a lot warmer.
Original Post 2:00 PM
According to a MLB source, the Los Angeles Angels are in serious discussions with free-agent outfielder Josh Hamilton. No deal is in place yet, however.
If this deal does indeed go down, I think it won’t be long until R.A. Dickey joins the Angels as well. Hamilton would be joining an outfield already consisting of Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo, and Peter Bourjos. Not to mention they still have Vernon Wells under contract.
One of Trumbo or Bourjos would have to be dealt to make room for Hamilton, and I’m sure the Angels would like to add one more starting pitcher to their rotation. Definitely keep your eye on this story as it develops.
