The Rangers Need To Extend Josh Hamilton’s Contract
He’s the face of the franchise. He’s a walking movie theme. He’s Josh Hamilton, and without him the Texas Ranger would lose much of their star appeal.
They have players like Mike Napoli and Adrian Beltre, but Josh Hamilton is different. Josh Hamilton is the redemption story every person in this country loves. Josh Hamilton was a couple outs away from capping off his lifetime story in the form of a movie. For him to have knocked in the winning runs for the Rangers and led them to a World Series crown after all his trials and tribulations, Hollywood would have been knocking down his door. The Rangers need to understand his intangible value as well as his tangible value.
Hamilton is a 30-year old outfielder who has average a little over 4 WAR per season in his career. He is a 4-time All Star, a League MVP, and a 2-time batting champ. He is a slightly above-average outfielder who has managed to post a positive DRS and UZR in his career. Josh Hamilton is a complete player and doesn’t figure to slow down anytime soon.
Even during his injury-plagued 2011 season, Hamilton still managed a .298/.346/.536 line with 25 home runs. He finished with 3.6 WAR and 22nd in MVP voting even with missing 41 games. Josh Hamilton plays hurt, he loves being on the field, by all accounts he’s a great teammate, and he can bring the pain on offense. If the Rangers aren’t already looking at extending his contract, they are making a big mistake.
Josh Hamilton is a free agent after next season. He will pull in $15.25 million next season on a back loaded contract. The Rangers clearly have money to spend. They are out there this winter considering players like Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder. What they need to focus on is resigning Josh Hamilton. Hamilton is the type of player that makes those around him better. He’s a clubhouse leader. While that doesn’t mean much in some circles, it clearly must be working in Texas. The Rangers have made back-to-back World Series. According to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Hamilton is just looking for something fair.
"Obviously I love it here in Texas, but it always comes down to getting treated fairly."
Things are still developing, the first stories about Hamilton’s contract are breaking, and the Rangers likely haven’t finished their off-season moves yet, but once the roster for 2012 is set, they need to turn their focus to extending Hamilton’s contract. If they don’t, they could find themselves without their marquee player in 2013.