General manager Jon Daniels said that any notion that the Rangers don't want Josh Hamilton to return aren't correct, but they won't hold up their off-season planning as he mulls his options.
Daniels, speaking Wednesday at the GM meetings in Indian Wells, Calif., called Hamilton "a stud for the franchise the past five years" and probably "the best player on the market."
"I think there's this perception out there that we don't want Josh back," Daniels said. "That's not accurate."
The Rangers have maintained contact with Hamilton's agent, Mike Moye, but no contract terms have been discussed. The plan is for Hamilton, who became a free agent last month, to test the market and then come back to the Rangers for a chance to match.
That might not come until January, but Daniels said that the Rangers will add players capable of replacing Hamilton even if he is unsigned.
"It's a unique situation," Daniels said. "It's somewhat dependent on their timing, what else we do, and ultimately what the market bares and what Josh wants."
-- Jeff Wilson
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