HBT: 3 reasons the Phils won't sign Hamilton

That?s awfully listy sounding, isn?t it? Don?t worry: I?m not going all Bleacher Report or Buzzfeed on you. This really does link to a story that provides three reasons why the Phillies won?t sign Josh Hamilton.

It?s from?Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, who?knows the Phillies as well as anyone. He says Josh Hamilton is not going to sign there for the following three reasons, which he ranks from smallest reason to biggest:

• ?Hamilton hits left-handed and the Phillies would like to add a right-handed bat to complement the tandem of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley.?
• ?Hamilton will likely seek a long-term payday in excess of $100 million ??It?s doubtful they want to write a check that big.?
• ?The Phillies have shown a willingness to spend big money ? for the right player, and the right player is often one with impeccable intangibles. Hamilton just doesn?t seem to be the right player.?

I sort of discount reasons one and two in and of themselves. Sure, you don?t want to be too left handed, but if you need a bat you sign he best hitter, right? All things being equal you go with a righty, but if things aren?t equal and the lefty is better, you deal with it.

?Over $100 million? seems kinda broad. Might a team not reasonably sign him to a five-year, $20 million a year deal but balk at seven years? I get what Sailsbury means about the Phillies already having big payroll, but I think we?re going too far to say that there isn?t some reasonable but still large Josh Hamilton contract to be signed by someone. He has risks, but he?s not chopped liver.

The intangibles? Well, that is what it is. The Phillies have tended to go for good character guys, but they?re not fanatical about it. I could see him scaring them off.

This is not to pick nits. I think, in its entirety, Salisbury paints a pretty convincing picture of a bad match between the Phillies and Hamilton. But I don?t think it?s an overwhelmingly silly idea. Just unlikely.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/13/three-reasons-the-phillies-wont-sign-josh-hamilton/related/

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