Mon, Apr 27, 2015 at 5:40pm

HAMILTON HEADS BACK TO THE RANGERS

The Texas Rangers acquired outfielder Josh Hamilton and cash from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

What does it give the Texas Rangers
This is a fairly low-risk move by the Rangers, despite Hamilton's generally risky status. That's because multiple reports say the Angels will pay most of the massive salary still owed to him (just over $80 million). His off-field issues and injury history are obvious red flags, but once he's healthy Hamilton could prove to be a steal for the Rangers. At age 34 in May he should still have at least some top-tier baseball left, and Hamilton has publicly stated his desire to return to Texas (so he'll be happier and more motivated to produce).

What does it give the Los Angeles Angels
The Angels move on here from a situation that was a distraction for the organization. The high-priced Hamilton struggled to stay healthy or produce stellar results at the plate, and his off-field troubles obviously compounded things. Swallowing so much salary has to be tough for ownership, but at the end of the day this deal is about moving on--especially during a season in which the Angels are at least competitive so far in the AL West.

Fantasy impact
Hamilton should get a solid fantasy boost with his return to Texas, but it's probably unreasonable to expect a return to his onetime MVP stature. His production really fell off in the past two seasons (both years with the Angels, since leaving the Rangers), and at 34 soon he's probably no longer in his prime. Still, the change of scenery should do him good. Hamilton's departure from Anaheim should solidify veteran Matt Joyce as the Angels' regular left fielder (although Collin Cowgill should see the occasional start, against lefties). In Texas, the arrival of Hamilton significantly changes the outfield picture; when he's healthy (which may be in a few weeks) Hamilton will likely start in left. If Hamilton gets his mojo back, he should help the whole Rangers lineup be more productive. His return pushes emerging prospects and platoon-mates Ryan Rua, Jake Smolinski, Carlos Peguero, and Delino DeShields Jr. into lesser backup roles, and eventually likely sends at least one of them to the minors.