Major League Baseball

Rangers bring back Hamilton in trade with Angels

Published Apr. 29, 2015 2:57 p.m. ET

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The Los Angeles Angels entered the weekend with a deal in place to trade 2010 American League MVP Josh Hamilton to the Texas Rangers, and they are coming out of it with that deal completed.

The Rangers announced Monday they will trade a player to be named later or cash considerations for Hamilton, who has struggled in two seasons with the Angels since leaving Texas as a free agent.

"I had a lot of good memories here," Hamilton said during a Monday afternoon news conference. "I'm back here. I'm back home. I'm going to give everything I've got."

FOX Sports baseball insider Ken Rosenthal reported Monday, citing a source, that Hamilton vetoed a trade to another team that would not have required him to relinquish any cash before a deal to return to Texas was finalized. Rosenthal reports that the Rangers' obligation to Hamilton will be less than $7 million over three years and that the size of his buyout with the Angels on the remander of his contract is not yet known.

On the 15-day disabled list while with the Angels, Hamilton took a physical and will report Tuesday to the Rangers' spring training complex in Surprise, Ariz. Rangers GM Jon Daniels said the Rangers expect Hamilton will be activated during the second half of May.

"At the end of the day this is a pretty easy decision for us," Daniels said, calling Hamilton "a player we feel can be productive and help us win games."

Hamilton hit .255 with 31 home runs and 123 RBI in 240 games with the Angels. Prior to that, he was an All-Star in each of his five seasons with Texas, two of which (2010, 2011) ended in trips to the World Series.

"It didn't work out on the field. It didn't work out off the field," Dipoto said during a conference call. "From beginning to end, this is not what we planned. This is not the way we envisioned any of this playing out from the moment we signed Josh. ... At the end of the day, this is what we felt this was best for the team, that we were able to clear the air, that we were able to move forward with the group of 25 that we have on the field today."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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