Free agent outfielder Josh Hamilton's asking price is believed to be seven years and $175 million, sources have told John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus:
From someone who knows these things: Josh Hamilton's asking price is 7 years and $175M. #Rangers #MLB
— John Perrotto (@jperrotto) November 2, 2012
Hamilton, 31, is expected to be one of the biggest draws on the market this winter, but also one of the biggest question marks given his troubled history. Estimates as to how much money teams will be willing to invest in Hamilton have varied wildly because of concerns about his injury history and ongoing struggles with addiction.
A price of $175 million over seven years is definitely on the very high end, and Hamilton may struggle to find teams who will listen to anything even approaching that kind of money.
The 2010 AL MVP struggled in the second half of the 2012 season, but still put together stellar numbers on the whole, hitting .285/.354/.577 with forty-three home runs in one hundred forty-eight games.