Angels' trade of Josh Hamilton to rival Rangers made official - The Orange County RegisterJosh Hamilton returns to the Rangers, the team he left as a free agent for the Angels.JOSHUA SUDOCK, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ANAHEIM Josh Hamilton s turbulent relationship with the Angels officially came to an end Monday, with Hamilton smiling in Texas and Jerry Dipoto satisfied that the club had saved about $20 million and made the best out of bad situation. This is not what we envisioned, the Angels general manager said. It didn t work out on the field. It didn t work out off the field. We are in a position now where it s best just to move on and focus on what happens next rather than what occurred. Officially, the Angels traded Hamilton and cash considerations to the Texas Rangers in exchange for a player to be named or cash considerations. If they do get a player, it will be a low level minor leaguer. If they get cash, it could be $1, a typical amount that changes hands in cash considerations deals.This deal was about the Angels cutting their losses on Hamilton, who has a no-trade clause, by sending him to the place he wanted to go. Over the course of the last few weeks, it became clear that Josh wanted to return to Texas, Dipoto said. After several discussions with the Rangers, we were able to complete a trade that in the end is the right decision for everyone involved. Instead of paying Hamilton the $83 million he is owed through the end of the 2017 season, they will send the Rangers about $63 million. Their payroll, for purposes of the luxury tax, will be reduced by about $20 million over three years, but the money is not divided evenly over the three years.The Rangers will pay Hamilton about $6 million, and the rest of the difference was made up http://www.teamwshstore.com/redskins-perry-riley-jersey by Hamilton reworking his contract.Hamilton recoups some of that money simply by going to Texas, which has no state income tax, but much of that gap is simply lost. It was a concession Hamilton was willing to make in order to play where he was comfortable during his five All-Star seasons before signing with the Angels.The other benefit Hamilton received, in exchange for reducing the value of his contract, was an opt-out clause following the 2016 season. That would allow Hamilton to become a free agent a year early.The agreement also likely contains further protection for the Angels, so they would get back money if Hamilton gets suspended without pay during the remaining term of the contract.Hamilton, 33, avoided a suspension this year because an arbitrator ruled that his self-reported relapse of drug and alcohol use did not constitute a violation of his drug treatment program.That decision sparked a series of comments from Angels management that highlighted the rift between the player and the organization that signed him to a $125 million deal in December 2012.Besides his latest off-field issue, Hamilton had never lived up to expectations on the field. He hit .255 with 31 homers and 133 RBI in two seasons with the Angels, including an injury-shortened season in 2014.Hamilton ended his Angels career by going hitless in 13 at-bats in the postseason, looking lost at the plate. There was always turbulence, Dipoto said. If I could put my finger on why where there was such a struggle, we could have corrected it. Hamilton, who was having marital troubles that resulted in him filing for divorce in February, suffered his relapse around the time he underwent shoulder surgery.When spring training began, the Angels did not invite Hamilton to camp, instead allowing him to rehab in the Houston area until he was ready to get back to baseball activities.By the time he finally clearance to do so, about a week ago, the Angels were already in the process of trying to trade Hamilton.Dipoto said Hamilton never refused to report to Angels extended spring training in Tempe. This transaction was already in progress at the time we were released and allowed to send Josh for medical rehabilitation in Tempe, Dipoto said. We were a good way toward realizing this outcome. We decided it was better to see this through than ask him to report to Tempe. Word of the deal began to leak Friday, and it took three more days for the complex agreement to be completed.The deal was not only between the Angels and Rangers, but also involved Hamilton, because of his no-trade clause. The commissioner s office needed to approve it because of the amount of money the Angels were sending to the Rangers. The Players Association needed to weigh in also, because Hamilton agreed to rework his contract. This is the culmination of a variety of different explorations, which included (Hamilton) playing for the Angels, Dipoto said. There were a number of outcomes. This one made the most sense for everybody. While the trade made it clear that Angels management simply wanted to be rid of Hamilton, in the clubhouse players have expressed support for Hamilton and some disappointment that he won t be returning to the Angels. It s not just about baseball, Mike Trout said Sunday. He s a good teammate, a good person in the clubhouse. It s tough. 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