The Rangers requested release waivers on Josh Hamilton Tuesday in a move that is created to give him the chance to begin 2017 with the club.
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The move with Hamilton was expected.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told reporters in a conference call that he had discussed the move with Hamilton, most recently on Tuesday. He’s hoping to be ready for spring training. “But that’s still a few steps down the line”. He had surgery on the left knee on June 8 to reconstruct the ACL and fix cartilage damage – his third operation on the knee since September. He returned to baseball with the Cincinnati Reds in 2007 and showed the promise that was almost destroyed by drugs, batting.292 in 90 games with 19 homers and 47 RBIs. With the Rangers the first time, however, the former embattled No. 1 overall pick made five straight All-Star appearances, won the 2010 American League MVP Award and put together three seasons of 100-plus RBI. He is still owed $28.4 million for next season, but the Los Angeles Angels are responsible for covering most of that.
The Angels traded Hamilton back to Texas last year when he was coming back from shoulder surgery, and agreed to pay the Rangers for all of his $24 million salary this season and $22 million of the $24 million the outfielder is due in 2017, the last year of that contract. Hamilton didn’t appear in a single big league game this season – he played in one minor league contest – and will turn 36 years-old in May.
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Hamilton opened this season on the DL recovering from knee surgery. The Rangers gave him a chance to rehab with them on the 60-day DL, but the latest move allows them to clear a roster space while also leaving open the chance to re-sign the outfielder in 2017.
