TERRY MOSHER
WILL THE BUBBLE BURST ON NELSON CRUZ?
Josh Hamilton. Remember him? He was the guy the Mariners targeted two off-seasons ago. They almost bagged him, too.
In December of 2012, the Los Angeles Angels wrestled Hamilton away from the greedy hands of the Mariners by offering a five-year deal with $125 million.
And I gave a big sigh of relief.
There was no way I wanted the Mariners to sign Hamilton. Not that I care how they want to spend their money, but Hamilton is too much of a nut case, too unpredictable to squander that type of money on.
Hamilton is an addictive personality, and has a well-documented history with drugs and alcohol. Hamilton suffered a relapse this off-season and the Angels reportedly were seeking ways to get out of their contract with him. An independent arbitrator ruled against the Angels recently, so now they will have to continue to pay him $1.916 million twice a month this baseball season to cover his $23 million contract for this season.
His contract the next two years is set at $30 million each year, plus $4.8 million in signing bonuses.
In the meantime, Hamilton is on the DL recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. He’s not expected back for at least two months.
Hamilton has hit .245 with 31 home runs in his first two seasons with the Angels. Last year he played in just 89 games because of injuries.
As they say in baseball, sometimes the best deal you make is the one you don’t make. The Mariners can thank their lucky stars Hamilton did not take their offer, and I can give another big sigh of relief.
I don’t want to say I told you so, but it is comfort to me that once in a while I get one right, and I was right on Hamilton. He might come back and go on a hitting tear, but Hamilton will be 34 on May21 (the day my mother died 62 years ago, by the way) and ballplayers are normally on the downside of their peak at that age.
So we will see what happens to Hamilton. My guess, though, is he will never be the Hamilton he once was with the Rangers. I don’t wish him ill-will. Having to constantly be on guard, afraid that you will slip right back to drugs and alcohol must be extremely difficult. The temptations are always there for baseball players. They are on the road for three months of a season and at every stop, whether it’s Detroit, New York, Boston, Chicago, the bright lights and plenty of beautiful women gather around ballparks. It’s easy to fall down out there. I just hope Hamilton doesn’t.
Speaking of power hitters, the Mariners did get one two years after pursing Hamilton when they signed Nelson Cruz. I’m not as down on Cruz as I was with Hamilton. He’s not an addictive personality, at least as far as I know. But I think there are high expectations for him that probably won’t be met.
First of all, Cruz is one year older than Hamilton, and what I said about ballplayers peaking out certainly applies to Cruz, who will be 35 in July.
Also, ballplayers historically perform much better in their contract year. He signed last off-season a one-year contract for $8 million with the Orioles, and you can view what he did as an audition for the rest of his career. And he didn’t disappoint.
Cruz batted a decent .271 with setting career highs in RBI with 108 and home runs with 40. He also matched his career high in games played with 159 and with 140 strikeouts.
If this audition with Baltimore was a Broadway play, he would have been signed as the starring lead. He took that audition and used it to get $57 million over the next four years from the Mariners.
What is interesting is what did not happen. Baltimore did not make a big effort to resign him. That should raise red flags. Do the Orioles know something the Mariners don’t?
Time, as they also say, will tell.
In the meantime:
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great day.
You are loved.