Report: 'Good chance' Rangers sign Hamilton to minor-league deal
A Texas Rangers-Josh Hamilton reunion appears to be closer than ever.
Rangers doctors have cleared the former MVP after evaluating his left knee, and there's a "good chance" Texas signs him to a minor-league deal, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Hamilton attempted a comeback last season, playing in one game with Double-A Frisco before shutting it down. The slugger has been dealing with a wonky knee for the past year or so.
The 35-year-old underwent his third knee operation since 2015 in June, and Texas released him in August in a procedural move.
After spending five consecutive All-Star seasons with the Rangers from 2008 to 2012, which included an MVP award in 2010, Hamilton signed a monster five-year, $125-million contract with the Los Angeles Angels.
Things didn't go as planned as he failed to produce in his first two years. But after going through a drug relapse in the offseason following his second campaign with the Angels, the team made it clear they didn't want him back despite being on the hook for $28 million in 2017.
While he's spent time away from the game, as fate would have it, the Rangers are in need of a solid outfield option or a designated hitter.