i'd be happy to have him back if he'd accept 10-12 million a year for no more than 3 years

I'd offer Hamilton any/all of the following 4 for 70 million with a vesting player option (5th year) at 15, 4 yrs/72 million, or 2 yrs/40 million with a vesting player option for a third year at 22 million.

I want him back after he gets a personality transplant. If this medical technology is not yet available, then I don't want him back.

I'd take him back. Period. You don't get a talent like that just drop in your lap every day.

But, I'd really like to have someone who has the capacity to get into his head and convince him that this is a team sport and, yes, we do pay to see him take walks when his walk:

1) Does not lead to a gratuitous strikeout
2) Saves us an out
3) Brings up the next guy who, though not AS dangerous, is still very dangerous in his own right
4) Doesn't demoralize his team.
5) Adds BASERUNNERS (i.e. enhanced Opportunities to Score RUNS!)

But, I'd take him back. Given a good manager, he'd be awesome.

@Ed - that was the most hilarious attempt I've seen yet at pinning something on Wash. Kudos.

To answer the question, I tend to lean a little more to the side that wants him back under the team's terms. As a fan, there aren't many things more fun than watching a locked-in Josh, as I'm sure most would agree. However, I simply don't see the team-friendly deal happening. Some team is going to go for the high risk/high reward and flat out over pay, but it won't be the Rangers; our FO is too smart for that.

Can we get Johnny Narron back w/ him?

I'd take him back if Copenhagen would sponsor him.

But in seriousness, I've got to agree with Rev. Don't want a player like that on a team that has young guys coming up. He isn't a leader on or off the field and carries too much baggage - in addition to the whole self-centeredness thing.

I want him back, but not at Fielder/Pujols type contract. But on a pure talent basis he's elite and the club will never adequately replace him in the short term. All the offensive talent in the farm system is years away and he'll leave a gaping hole in the lefty hitting lineup.

He's a weird bird, for sure, and I can't begin to get into his head. But you put up with all of that if it gives you 43 HR's & 128 RBI's. All the other stuff is just white noise as far as I'm concerned. For those offering him a quick ticket out of time, be careful what you wish for. He might just be our Patrick Ewing....not appreciated enough while you had him, but 10 years later you haven't replaced him.

I try to resign him assuming he doesn't get some monster $150+ deal. But either way, I still go out and get another slugger, whether through FA (David Ortiz) or trade (Upton, etc.). His peaks and valley's are so high you can't count him. But when he has a hot streak, he can single handedly make the team unstoppable.

In a vacuum I'd like him back. That being, if his production remained consistent and didn't have so much baggage. In reality, I'm ready for him to keep pushin'. Let him be someone else's problem.

In a hypothetical reality where I'm paying for future production, I'd take him back on a 3-year deal for between $20M and $25M AAV, which comes out to $60M-$75M. I think he could cover that, particularly if the price of WAR increases to $6M as it's expected to. But we know Josh Hamilton wants more security than just three years, which is why my FA offer would never be accepted.

Josh wants 6 or 7 years, around the same AAV I listed above. And I think some owner will be willing to go that far. That team will not be us.

I don't understand why you people think Josh needs a personality transplant. He is charming. He spends more time with fans than any other athlete. He tries to help people with addiction problems. This is selfish?You think he is selfish because he doesn't do things the way you want him to.Apparently the worse thing you can be in the metroplex is different.

Two relapses; the "dipping incident," which was probably something worse; the "eye issues," which could very well have been something else.

Dude is a drama queen. I didn't even know this was up for debate. He's been a distraction since the moment he got here, but it's the type of thing you put up with so long that he produces on the field. After awhile, after 5 years, it doesn't seem worth it to carry on.

I want him back. But I wouldn't give him more than 3 years guaranteed, with 1 or maybe 2 option years. 3 for 20 AAV with bonuses which could make it 3 for 25 AAV. Throw on 2 option/vesting years and go from there. Don't think he would sign. Even though I want him back more than most, I still wouldn't want it to be at the expense of the future payroll of the Rangers. Anyone see A-Rod these days??? Yikes!

Its all about the contract. If he doesn't get the mega offer then I could see us matching it to keep him here. If it breaks past 4 years we're out. I just don't think JD wants to sign someone who could well have a steep decline curve for a ton of years.

We won't find a replacement for him. There's not too many players in the MLB that can replace what Josh is capable of giving. Of course I don't know how much longer Josh will be capable of being Josh Hamilton.

I'd like him back for a reasonable contract but that's probably not realistic. Despite a head scratching finish to the season, Hamilton's presence in the lineup is irreplaceable. Not looking forward to being without a talent like him.

I would welcome him back if we can get him for 3 yrs/$60M with 4th year team option at $15M. I would sprinkle in performance bonus of $1M for 100+ RBI, $1M for 40+ HR, $500K for ALCS win and $1M for WS win every year.

BTW, nice article on Josh at ESPN http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=joshhamiltoneticket

@ eric sorry sir.. i expect better from YOU.... "Drama Queen" ?? pease enlighten silly me as to how being soughtout by the media is defined as "Drama Queen"... the one RANGER that seeks out publicity is actually Mr. Ryan.... no other team president has regular press conferences.. i respect most of your posts but this is somewhat a simplistic response for a man of your capabilities.. but that's just my opinion thank you for your time..

eric and JON,

Nolan said it himself, there is no other player in that clubhouse that gets more media attention. When you take that into account along with Josh's difficult past a lot of times you are going to get a bad combination. I do think Josh cracked under the pressure of the contract year, but in other years the Josh situation was not nearly as problematic. I think as long as Josh feels accepted and supported he will be more or less fine. The contract year situation was very difficult, and the media scrutiny was greatly increased. I would blame Josh for what happened but then I realize that I am weak too, aren't we all?

Bottom line? If we lose Josh replacing that kind of production is going to be damn near impossible. Anyone who doesn't want to resign him is a bit crazy, not at any ridiculous price of course.

@JON

Josh has always received a lot of attention, and he likes the attention. If you think about the five years he's been here, there really hasn't been too quiet of a time. It's always something. Just this year alone he had a relapse, word that a movie was going to be made about him, the tobacco issue, the sight issue, etc. I'm not knocking his prior history, but he seems to put himself in the line of fire, stringing the media and fan base along, more often than any other player we've ever had here.

This is why I think Boston would be the perfect landing spot for him. There will be constant media attention, and it will be like starting over. He can create the same issues and have a wider net of viewers, cameras on him all the time, beat writers hanging on his every word. From everything he's been through, I have a hard time believing this wouldn't be something he would welcome with open arms.

I'd probably do 4 yr for 70m with incentives that can kick it up to 80m.

The plain fact of the matter is that ownership enjoyed a shocking 3.46 million tickets sold, which is downright amazing for a team that has an open roof stadium that has two months out of the year with 95+ degree heat.

Josh really does factor in alot of that. I see it all the time that I go see a game there. All those kids and all those families and all those ladies who look like they don't know the slightest thing about baseball tagging along with their sugar-daddies.

We need these paying customers in order to fund an elite baseball club. And the team needs stars who attract the public. I don't see many baseball players who can get booked on nighttime talk shows like Josh.

I would like that he transfer over to the David Ortiz role, and not put as much pressure on him to be the cornerstone of the offense, but rather a #5 guy. I believe that if he feels loose and relaxed and having fun, he will naturally pop 35 to 40 homers and put 120-140 RBIs and keep the offense moving in the lower half of the lineup.

We need an improved Kinsler, Andrus, Beltre, and one other good bat that consistently hits for contact on the top hald of our lineup. We need movers and shakers on the top half, and then singles and doubles (and possibly HRs) on the bottom half.