Josh Hamilton went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in his debut against his former club, the Texas Rangers, on Friday at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
The 31-year-old outfielder, who signed a five-year, $125 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels in December, has now gone 1-for-16 to start the season, including eight strikeouts.
Obviously, it's still very early in the 2013 campaign, and you figure the talented slugger will get it going eventually, but it's interesting in that the Angels inked Albert Pujols to a mega deal before the 2012 campaign and the former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman proceeded to post the lowest OPS of his career. He still managed to belt out 30 home runs and notch 105 RBI, but he also hit .285 (also a career low for him).
There's no sense in overreacting to Hamilton's slow start, even if his "slump" continues for a while, but you can't help but think of all the mega long-term deals that destroyed clubs in the past when you see him struggling.
Hamilton hit .285 with 43 home runs, 128 RBI and 103 runs in a contract year in 2012. He was a monster throughout most of the regular season, but he didn't show up in a one-game playoff against the Baltimore Orioles. With more money in his pocket now, he's going to be expected to step up when it matters most.
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