Los Angeles Angels general manager Arte Moreno says he's not worried about Josh Hamilton coming back to haunt his team. Texas Rangers GM Jon Daniels called it one of the more complex trades he's ever made.
Hamilton said he's just happy to be back in Arlington.
Shortly after completing the trade and returning Hamilton to Texas, the Rangers re-introduced Hamilton in a revealing press conference Monday afternoon.
Here are five things we learned from it:
He's close to returning from DL
The most surprising revelation from Monday's presser might have been how close Hamilton is to returning to the diamond. Hamilton said he's been progressing well from offseason shoulder surgery and Daniels suggested he could be activated from the disabled list by mid- to late May.
Hamilton, who's been hitting and is physically cleared to resume baseball activities, will work out in Arizona for 10 days before beginning a rehab assignment at Triple-A.
Angels wanted him gone
Hamilton, who at times appeared defiant and terse during the 30-minute presser, made it crystal clear that the Angels turned their back on him and not the other way around.
When asked for his reaction to Moreno's assertion that he let the Angels down by relapsing, Hamilton said: "I have no clue what he's talking about. I showed up every day and played hard while I was there. I hadn't been the player they wanted me to be and I worked my butt off before this season ... they didn't want it to happen."
Had the Angels supported him following his relapse, Hamilton said, he would have been rehabbing with the team during spring training and playing with them now.
"(Moreno) knew what the deal was when he signed me," he said. "He knew what the risks were."
He wanted to play for Rangers
Hamilton, reiterating the Angels' decision to distance themselves from him this offseason, made no secret of his desire to return to the team he enjoyed tremendous success with from 2008-2012.
"When it was made aware to me that the Angels wanted to move me, my first choice was the Rangers," said Hamilton, who won the AL MVP and was an All-Star in each of his five seasons in Texas.
From there, Hamilton tried to focus on the future and not the past. He offered a half-apology for questioning whether Arlington was a baseball town during his first season in Los Angeles, and expressed regret at signing a five-year, $125-million deal with the Angels in 2012.
"If I could change the past, I would but I can't," he said. "(But) I probably wouldn't have gone anywhere, I probably would have stayed here."
He'll have a better support system in Texas
Most importantly, Hamilton believes he'll be a better person by reuniting with his former club.
"Between 2012 and 2015, a lot of my support system was removed or pushed away ... and not all by my doing," he said.
Hamilton said he's reverting to the pre-2012 surroundings that helped him manage his troubles with substance abuse. He's currently being tested five times a week for drugs and alcohol, which represents an increase from three times a week.
Homecoming marks a new chapter in his life
A father of two and turning 34 years old next month, Hamilton said above all he's determined to improve his life.
"Taking care of my little girls back home," he said. "That's my priority right now."
Hamilton believes he's "not over the hill," and said he can help the Rangers win games, but his motivation to play is triggered by something much greater than money or individual statistics.
"I need baseball. I love baseball. I've been playing baseball since I was 3," he said. "The reason I'm making certain changes in my life is because I want to be OK once baseball's over."