Owner Arte Moreno not sure Josh Hamilton will play again for Angels

It’s not a well kept secret that the Los Angeles Angels would rather not continue doing business with outfielder Josh Hamilton following his recent admitted relapse involving cocaine and alcohol. But just in case that wasn’t one-hundred percent obvious to everyone just yet, Angels owner Arte Moreno bridged the gap to clarity on Friday night ahead of his team’s home opener against the Kansas City Royals.

When asked if he anticipates Hamilton ever suiting up again for the Angels, Moreno responded, “I will not say that,” before adding that the Angels have language in Hamilton’s contract regarding a drug relapse and may try to enforce it to keep him off the field.

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It’s a notable revelation considering that Moreno denied including such language when the deal was originally signed. Though as Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan notes on Twitter, Josh Hamilton’s situation could fall under a conversion clause he wrote about two years that if applicable here could turn Hamilton’s deal into a non-guarenteed contract.

Here’s more from Moreno, courtesy of Bill Shaikin from the Los Angeles Times.

Moreno said he was “disappointed” in Hamilton.

“More than anything, we look at accountability,” Moreno said. “With all of our players and all of our employees, we look for accountability.

“We understand he’s had troubles and he’s still having troubles. But the reality is, there is accountability when you make an agreement.”

Moreno added that he hasn’t talked to Hamilton since he reported his relapse to the league in February. That’s both a startling and troubling admission considering the agreement and the commitment the team made to Hamilton. It’s a two-way street, or at least it should be, but this is par for the course given how the Angels have handled this situation.

The team has drawn heat from outside the organization and has even earned a few quizzical looks from within thanks to their less than supportive comments and actions following Hamilton’s recent relapse. Things went to another level last Friday, when general manager Jerry Dipoto released a statement pushing the team’s concerns about Hamilton’s conduct, health and behavior, which followed the announcement Hamilton would not be suspended.

To many, the statement seemed less than genuine. At best, it felt improperly focused. But the general feeling is the Angels were more concerned about getting out from under the $23 million owed this season and the $83 million owed to Hamilton through 2017 than his health or well being. To which Moreno replies, courtesy of Shaikin:

“It was not about money,” Moreno said. “Nothing about money.”

Easy to say. Difficult to believe. But that’s where the Angels stand right now.

Now the questions are: Will the Angels move forward with enforcing that clause in Hamilton’s contract? And if so, are they prepared for the battle they’ll face from a public relations standpoint and in dealing with the MLBPA?

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813

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