Josh Hamilton goes to LA for 5 years

[Skin Blues]

Why are you then automatically assuming that he will reproduce something that he has never done before in 2013.

I'm not.

So Hamilton isn't replacing a similar valued player in 2013. He is replacing a guy who had a career year in 2012 but has been just OK but not great for quite a while. Which is an improvement for the Angels future because that is all that really matters to them in this deal.

Right; Hamilton is replacing a guy who had a career year, so he's probably not going to help them win more games in 2013 than Hunter did in 2012.

And just to note something about Hamilton: park effects will drastically affect him with his new team. He's going from a hugely favourable home park for LH power hitters to a terrible one. About 6 HR per season will turn from HR into fly outs, and hits in general are stifled. Just something to think about when draft season rolls around. A power hitter with horrible plate discipline that could have his home run total chopped by 6 (and the AVG/RBI that go along with them).

[Ender]

The A's will likely win 10 fewer games than last year to begin with so a large part of this argument is moot. The Rangers aren't as good a team as last year either. I don't think any AL West team is in the list of top 5 or 6 teams in baseball so no reason the Angels can't take 1st. They are a bunch of 3rd or 4th place teams in the AL East.