ANAHEIM, California — Feeling “a little upset” that Texas didn’t move quickly enough to re-sign him, free-agent outfielder Josh Hamilton donned a Los Angeles Angels jersey on Saturday after finalizing a $125-million, five-year contract that he called a new chapter in his life.
“I started off with the Devil Rays and now I’m an Angel,” said the five-time All-Star who was drafted by Tampa Bay before making his major league debut with Cincinnati in 2007.
Hamilton, the 2010 AL MVP, joins a batting order that already includes Albert Pujols and AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout. The 31-year-old Hamilton hit a career-high 43 home runs last season and batted .285 with 128 RBIs in 148 games.
“To get a guy like Josh and combine him with Albert is going to give us building blocks for what we hope is years to come,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “We can’t wait.”
Neither can dozens of red-clad Angels fans, who lined up outside a restaurant where Hamilton was introduced.
Hamilton’s $25-million average annual salary matches Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard for the second-highest in baseball, trailing only Alex Rodriguez’s $27.5-million average with the New York Yankees.
“It was a great investment,” said Angels owner Arte Moreno, who insisted he wasn’t trying to keep up with the L.A. Dodgers, who are on track to surpass the Yankees as baseball’s biggest spending team.
n PHILADELPHIA — The bridge to Jonathan Papelbon could be a little smoother for the Philadelphia Phillies next year.
The Phillies added a setup man and starter, agreeing to a $12-million, two-year contract with reliever Mike Adams and a one-year deal with lefty John Lannan.
People familiar with the deals said Saturday the contracts were subject to physicals. They spoke on condition of anonymity as the agreements were not yet final.
Adams is expected to fill the eighth-inning role for the Phillies. The 34-year-old right-hander was 5-3 with a 3.27 ERA last season for the Texas Rangers.
Lannan, 28, replaces Vance Worley in the starting rotation. Worley was traded to Minnesota last week. Lannan was 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA in six starts for the NL East champion Washington Nationals this year.
