Angels Trade Josh Hamilton to Texas Rangers

The Angels have traded Josh Hamilton to the Texas Rangers.

There are no other players involved in the trade.

In baseball lingo the trade is for "Cash Considerations" - which means part of Hamilton's guaranteed contract will be paid by the Rangers.

Reports are that the Rangers will be paying $15 Million. Awfully considerate of them.

That comes out to Five Million dollars per year for 2015, 16 and 17.

The Angels owed Josh $83 Million going into this season and now they will only have to pay $68 Million of that amount.

Hamilton will be removed form the sixty day disabled list of the Angels and arrive on on the Rangers 60-Day DL. Neither team will have to make a roster move.

When the general agreement between Major League Baseball and the Players Union comes up for negotiations in a year, you can bet Arte Moreno will be front an center with new demands.

So this thing ain't over yet.

UPDATE: It just gets better and better for the Rangers - because Texas has no state income tax, HamBone will relinquish - to Texas - the money he would have paid to California in personal income tax - and this will be applied to what they pay the Angels.

In this regard Hamilton will be seen as "giving up" something but in reality it means that less than the $15 million will be coming out of Arlington's pockets.

Additionally, while Hamilton's average annual value of $25 million counts against the luxury tax, the Rangers can pay in differing amounts and that will adjust accordingly. For example - they could pay $15 million in 2017 and that would affect their total amount AND that of the Angels with no penalties in the other two years.

These are all the issues that are being negotiated now. There does not seem to be a dealbreaker among them.