Josh Hamilton could be playing baseball for the Los Angeles Angels by June, if everything goes according to the team's comeback plan for the troubled former MVP.
The Angels and Hamilton have been locked in a dispute about his future with the team after he admitted a drug relapse to MLB. Angels owner Arte Moreno has threatened to void Hamilton's contract, while teammates have publicly supported Hamilton's return.
We've been unsure for months about whether Hamilton would ever play for the Angels again. But now, according to the Los Angeles Times' Bill Shaikin, we're learning that the Angels have a plan in place that could bring Hamilton back to the big leagues.
Under the tentative plan, Hamilton would report to the Angels' Arizona training complex for two to three weeks of work with the team's extended spring program. He would then proceed to a minor league rehabilitation assignment and could rejoin the Angels thereafter.
Hamilton is expected to report to Arizona "sooner rather than later," according to a person familiar with the plan but unwilling to discuss it publicly until the Angels announce it. The person spoke before the Angels' 6-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium on Monday.
The plan does not guarantee that Hamilton plays again for the Angels, but at the least it buys time for owner Arte Moreno. If Hamilton appears sound enough that his presence on the roster could give the Angels their best chance to win, the players might be discouraged if Moreno lets Hamilton go.
The best thing about this? It gives Hamilton a chance to prove himself again, rather than sitting in baseball purgatory. Recently, the Angels seemed like a team desperate for a loophole to shed their $83-million commitment to Hamilton. They spoke out publicly, surprised when an MLB-appointed arbitrator didn’t suspend Hamilton.
Even before the relapse, Hamilton's contract was on the brink of being a boondoggle. He'd been injured and unproductive through most of his tenure with the Angels, including a hitless 2014 postseason. Shoulder surgery sidelined him for the start of the 2015 season too.
When the Angels traveled to Houston last week, a handful of teammates visited Hamilton, who has been rehabbing his injury there. Their public statements in support of Hamilton have only strengthened the case for his return. As has the Angels' not-so-great 5-8 start. They're in the bottom third of the league in runs, hits, batting average and OPS. If you take away Trout's contributions, the team is hitting .196.
Of course, the Angels could still hope to trade Hamilton too. Getting him onto the field and showing other teams he can still play ball would be the first step in that process. The next step would most assuredly be agreeing to write a big ol' check to help pay Hamilton's salary in the coming years.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
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