Angels shock baseball and nab Hamilton
Dec 13, 2012, 11:59 AM | Updated: 12:21 pm
By Shannon Drayer
I just have a couple of minutes to write about the news of the day but will get back to this when I can later this afternoon.
Josh Hamilton to the Angels. I am not surprised that he did not sign with the Mariners. I have said since October that the Mariners had interest but they also had hard limits in regard to how long they would go for him. I don’t believe they were ever close to signing him. Three years wasn’t going to get it done. Four years wasn’t going to get it done. Five years at $125 million is being reported. That figure is probably closer to the 7/$175 million he was said to be seeking that many thought it would get.
Hamilton was never the Mariners’ number one target. He did seem to be a bigger target for the Rangers, who most likely are reeling now after losing out on Zack Greinke and being left out of the multiple-team trade that they helped construct that ended up netting Arizona their shortstop without having to give up Justin Upton. They will move on as will the Mariners.
For now the balance in the A.L. West appears to have shifted as the Angels pull off the most shocking move of the offseason.
