It's About Alexander Hamilton, Not Josh Hamilton

Since the Anaheim Angels signed Josh Hamilton to an ill-advised five-year, $125 million contract before the 2013 season there have been several important developments:

1. He has hit for a lower TAv than Juan Francisco.
2. He flamed out in the '13 playoffs.
2. He's spent more than 80 games on the shelf due to injuries.
3. He has abused drugs again.
4. He has turned 33.
4. His payments -- $480,762.23 a week -- have continued unabated.

None of this is a shock. Hamilton has had a litany of prior issues with drugs and injuries, enough to warrant pause before committing to him. Moving away from the high-offense environment in Texas and aging into his 30s nearly guaranteed a decline in production. Despite that, the Angels dangled guaranteed money to Hamilton as if he was an MVP without warts, with a predictably bad outcome.

Most of us reacted with sympathy when Hamilton turned himself in to MLB authorities this off-season to report his cocaine relapse. He is battling demons that control his brain and we all wish him godspeed in that lifelong fight. Even if he never plays another game of pro ball, addiction will be the dominant issue of his time on Earth.

Viewed through the prism of his albatross contract, it's easy to understand why Angels brass are symapthy-challenged. The guy they thought would team with Albert Pujols, another disappointing mega-signee, to lead Anaheim to a World Championship has led instead to headaches for team management.

That would explain the graceless response from GM Jerry Dipoto when an arbitrator ruled that Hamilton technically did not violate the collective bargaining agreement and therefore can't be fined our suspended by Commissioner Rob Manfred.

You might wonder why Dipoto and the team want Hamilton benched when play begins. He hasn't delivered to his contract, but he's still an above-average hitter, right? 

Well, no, not when he's on the trainer's table. 

Hamilton is rehabbing from February shoulder surgery and won't be available for another six or eight weeks at the earliest. In other words, the ruling is all about money. It's about Alexander Hamiltons, not Josh Hamilton.

The Angels were hoping that Hamilton (Josh, not Alex) would be suspended 30-50 games, roughly coinciding with the length of his recovery. That would save the team between $3 and $4 million, a thin salve to the wound that Hamilton's contract represents. Instead, he'll continue to accrue retirement service time without contributing a thing.

Hark, Ye Anaheim Angels Sing

In the epic movie, "It's A Wonderful Baseball Life," Clarence tells George Bailey that every time an American League team in Southern California signs a catcher who can hit, it means an Angel has just gotten his wings. 

That would be new general manager Jerry DiPoto, who quickly went about undoing the single stroke by former GM Tony Reagins (or engineered by manager Mike Scioscia, it's not clear) that cost Anaheim the West in 2011.

Last winter, Reagins/Scioscia jettisoned catcher Mike Napoli, who had bashed .260/.350/.500 with awful backstop defense in his first five years. Scioscia, a former catcher himself, couldn't abide the tradeoff. So they traded Napoli off to Toronto with Juan Rivera for the stinking carcass of Vernon Wells' five-year, $105 million contract, a swap universally reviled as among the worst in history. Many pundits agreed with the pronouncement of this space that any team willing to accept Wells' albatross of a contract should have been receiving players as a price of their largesse, not relinquishing a receiver, and one of the league's best-hitting ones at that.

The Jays then flipped Napoli to Anaheim's main rival, Texas, for reliever Frank Francisco, allowing Scioscia to enjoy the other side of the Napoli relationship. And here's how it went: like watching your ex-girlfriend hook up immediately with the former star quarterback who now owns all the local car dealerships.

Napoli got busy tearing up AL pitching (.320/.414/.631) and banking five wins of value to the pennant-fated Rangers. His replacements in Anaheim -- whoops! we're supposed to have replacements? -- managed a putrid .192/.252/.302, costing the Angels a couple of losses. In short, that trade flipped the Rangers and Angels in the standings. For icing on the cake, Wells clogged up an outfield spot with his .218/.248/.412 and at $26+ million probably prevented the team from acquiring a Major League catcher.

Evidently, DiPoto, who was hired after Reagins abruptly quit following the season, was paying attention. Job one: landing Chris Ianetta, the Rockies' offense-first catcher. Ianetta (.235/.357/.439) is no Napoli behind or beside the plate, so maybe Scioscia will stomach him better. In any case, he's 230 points of OPS better than the sludge that oozed behind the plate for Anaheim after Napoli's departure.

The upgrade cost DiPoto a fungible arm -- rookie long reliever Tyler Chatwood. All of which means things are looking up for Orange County during that time of year when Angels are purported most often to sing.

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