Are the Rangers letting Hamilton walk? Looks like it.

[TradeAngelos]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121009&content_id=39638048&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

ARLINGTON -- Josh Hamilton has made it clear the Rangers will get the "first chance" at re-signing him. The Rangers are declining that offer.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Tuesday the club will not make an offer to Hamilton before he becomes a free agent after the World Series.

"We're not going to make a kind of preemptive proposal at this point," Daniels said. "I think that effectively what we decided internally and agreed on with Josh and his representatives during the spring was that was the process -- we're going to let it play out. If you put yourself in his shoes, if you've got this far, you're going to test the market, find out what's out there. I think that's understandable.

Now I am sure the door will be "open", but if they aren't even willing to make him an initial offer the writing is on the wall.

Could this drive his price down to a reasonable level, considering the team that knows him best isn't willing to go out of their way to keep him?

[Tony-OH]

I bet the Red Sox become major players for Hamilton now that they freed up all that cash thanks to the Dodgers trade.

[Don Quixote]

I bet the Red Sox become major players for Hamilton now that they freed up all that cash thanks to the Dodgers trade.

I wouldn't be surprised. If that happens, I hope he becomes another bad contract. As long as he has the right support behind the scenes, he'll have plenty of money and be fine.

[crissfan172]

I bet the Red Sox become major players for Hamilton now that they freed up all that cash thanks to the Dodgers trade.

I wouldn't be surprised. If that happens, I hope he becomes another bad contract. As long as he has the right support behind the scenes, he'll have plenty of money and be fine.

I don't know...I think they want to get younger. Plus...I don't really see Hamilton as a great fit for Fenway.

[Can_of_corn]

I don't think the Red Sox will be players, I think they want to rebuild a foundation before hitting the FA market for any big ticket items.

I could see one of the LA Teams doing something stupid.

[TradeAngelos]

I don't think the Red Sox will be players, I think they want to rebuild a foundation before hitting the FA market for any big ticket items.

I could see one of the LA Teams doing something stupid.

I don't know, anytime I see a marquee free agent and the Red Sox having a boatload of money to spend, I can see the connection fit/timing be damned. If they sign him for 5 years he will be there for long enough where they could afford a throw away first year. This isn't going to be some low payroll 3-4 year rebuild, they are going to try to get back.....fast.

Dodgers - Payroll is estimated to be around $237 million for 2013...can they really afford another huge contract?

Angels - Obviously don't have the commitments Dodgers do, but after Pujols contract are they gonna be eager to spend huge money on an "iffy" 32 year old free agent?

Gonna be interesting that is for sure.

[Can_of_corn]

I don't know, anytime I see a marquee free agent and the Red Sox having a boatload of money to spend, I can see the connection fit/timing be damned. If they sign him for 5 years he will be there for long enough where they could afford a throw away first year. This isn't going to be some low payroll 3-4 year rebuild, they are going to try to get back.....fast.

Dodgers - Payroll is estimated to be around $237 million for 2013...can they really afford another huge contract?

Angels - Obviously don't have the commitments Dodgers do, but after Pujols contract are they gonna be eager to spend huge money on an "iffy" 32 year old free agent?

Gonna be interesting that is for sure.

They will also have to throw away season 5 and maybe season 4 of that deal. Paying 5 years for 2-3 isn't sound.

As for the Dodgers, it is true that they already have 193 Million allocated toward next season. However that goes back down pretty quickly 133/90/90/90 over the next 5 seasons. They could backload a deal.

Anytime a team spends big and misses it (LAAoA) or has a new ownership with crazy money (LAD) I expect them to make the stupid signing.

[Crazysilver03]

I know its probably lip service but I take Cherington at his word when he says they wont be players for Hamilton.

They have too much wrong that they need to fix. This is a team with only three/four starting pitchers heading into next season.

[TradeAngelos]

Interesting thread.

http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/74676-josh-hamilton-yes-or-no/

An overwhelming majority of Red Sox fans don't want anything to do with him.

[Orioles0615]

I am sure the Yankees want to add another bat and bad contract

[TXOriole]

My money in on the White Sox. Totally reeks of something Williams would do

[tennOsfan]

White Sox sound about right. Maybe the Marlins go crazy again with Ramirez off the books.

Red Sox don't make sense to me b/c they traded away all that money, not to clear money off the books but to just retool. I think they'll look to firm up their total organization and not do something stupid with a contract that constrains them. Free agency got them in the mess they're in.

I think Hamilton could make sense for us. He could be that one player that turns our lineup into a major force. We certainly could go into 2013 without needing anything substantial pitching-wise. We could endure a season of Andino/Roberts/Flaherty if we upgraded our cleanup hitter. I am wary of what Hamilton does to our clubhouse, but I don't buy that he's a cancer. The Rangers went to how many World Series pre-Hamilton? How many did they go to with him? If you know the answers to those questions, then how is he so bad for the clubhouse?

[TradeAngelos]

White Sox sound about right. Maybe the Marlins go crazy again with Ramirez off the books.

Red Sox don't make sense to me b/c they traded away all that money, not to clear money off the books but to just retool. I think they'll look to firm up their total organization and not do something stupid with a contract that constrains them. Free agency got them in the mess they're in.

I think Hamilton could make sense for us. He could be that one player that turns our lineup into a major force. We certainly could go into 2013 without needing anything substantial pitching-wise. We could endure a season of Andino/Roberts/Flaherty if we upgraded our cleanup hitter. I am wary of what Hamilton does to our clubhouse, but I don't buy that he's a cancer. The Rangers went to how many World Series pre-Hamilton? How many did they go to with him? If you know the answers to those questions, then how is he so bad for the clubhouse?

Of course we would be a fit, and I don't know if anyone is really concerned about the clubhouse as much as injuries/age. We also have that other little issue of making a real effort to land such a player, and be willing to pay what it takes. I mean just think what would happen if we did that with two other certain players who were possibilities in recent years, even at the cost of overpaying.

This team needs that one extra piece in the lineup, as you can see from recently and in the past we have too many "ok" hitters who can go into prolonged slumps and kill us. We need that flat out raker to position everyone else where they should be, and take some pressure off the other guys.