Angels paying Josh Hamilton $26 million to play for rival Rangers

After playing in just one minor-league game in 2016, outfielder Josh Hamilton is ready to make a comeback. The 35-year-old agreed to return to the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, signing a one-year, $535,000 deal.

That’s actually the major-league minimum, and Hamilton will only make that much if he appears in the majors this season. That’s no guarantee considering the 35-year-old hit just .253/.291/.441 over 50 games in 2015.

While that seems like a far cry from what Hamilton was making in his prime, that’s not exactly the case. Though the Rangers will pay Hamilton the major-league minimum, the Los Angeles Angels are still on the hook for the final year of the five-year, $125 million mega deal Hamilton signed in 2012.

If Hamilton makes the Rangers, the Angels will pay him just a little over $26 million to play for their division rival. They’ll actually pay Hamilton that money no matter what happens, but it’s a lot more fun to think of them paying for a player they’ll face in 19 games during the regular season.

Hamilton’s contract with Los Angeles didn’t exactly work out as planned. He hit .255/.316/.426, with 31 home runs, over two seasons with the team. Prior to signing with the Angels, Hamilton posted a .305/.363/.549 slash line in five seasons with the Rangers.

Hamilton relapsed during the 2014 offseason, and was traded to the Rangers in February. Angels owner Arte Moreno publicly criticized Hamilton for not being “accountable” for his actions, leading to a messy divorce between the two sides. The Angels agreed to eat a large portion of Hamilton’s remaining contract to send him back to Texas.

To make matters worse, Hamilton’s $26.4 million salary would make him the highest paid player on the Angels this season. Yes, he’s making more than Albert Pujols. The 37-year-old first baseman will make a cool $26 million in 2017.

While Hamilton’s contract comes off the books after 2017, that’s hardly a silver lining here. Unless they can find a way to get out of the five years and $140 million left on Pujols’ deal, the Angels will be responsible for the worst contract in the majors for quite some time.