Josh Hamilton is hoping to find a team to pay him $175 million over seven years, a source told Baseball Prospectus' John Perrotto this week.
Hamilton, who hits free agency after spending the last five seasons with the Rangers, is widely viewed as the top position player available, but he could have trouble finding a team willing to invest that kind of cash in him.
Though such a deal wouldn't match the length of the contract Albert Pujols secured from the Los Angeles Angels last off-season, it would put Hamilton on par in terms of average annual salary at $25 million.
A year ago, a 31-year-old Pujols signed a 10-year, $254 million deal with the Angels after playing at least 147 games and putting up an OPS of .997 or better in eight of his previous nine seasons.
Hamilton, also 31, only had one year with an OPS above 1.000 and struggled to stay healthy during his time in Texas, missing an average of 32 games a season. Beyond that, Hamilton's history with drug and alcohol addiction could give teams another reason to shy away from a long-term commitment.
For all of his obvious talents and flaws, predicting the market for Hamilton's services has been unusually tough. Some analysts seem to think he'll have a hard time securing more than a three- or four-year deal, while others think a team will eventually crack and offer five, six or even seven years.
But one thing seems sure: If Hamilton finds a team willing to meet that reported $175 million asking price, it almost certainly won't be Texas.
Hamilton, who hits free agency after spending the last five seasons with the Rangers, is widely viewed as the top position player available, but he could have trouble finding a team willing to invest that kind of cash in him.
Though such a deal wouldn't match the length of the contract Albert Pujols secured from the Los Angeles Angels last off-season, it would put Hamilton on par in terms of average annual salary at $25 million.
A year ago, a 31-year-old Pujols signed a 10-year, $254 million deal with the Angels after playing at least 147 games and putting up an OPS of .997 or better in eight of his previous nine seasons.
Hamilton, also 31, only had one year with an OPS above 1.000 and struggled to stay healthy during his time in Texas, missing an average of 32 games a season. Beyond that, Hamilton's history with drug and alcohol addiction could give teams another reason to shy away from a long-term commitment.
For all of his obvious talents and flaws, predicting the market for Hamilton's services has been unusually tough. Some analysts seem to think he'll have a hard time securing more than a three- or four-year deal, while others think a team will eventually crack and offer five, six or even seven years.
But one thing seems sure: If Hamilton finds a team willing to meet that reported $175 million asking price, it almost certainly won't be Texas.
