What can we expect from Josh Hamilton after his return to Texas?

Josh Hamilton’s return to Texas will result in one of two things:

• The greatest deal in Texas Rangers’ history.

• A waste of $7 million dollars that could have been spent beefing up a depleted pitching staff.

When I first heard that the Rangers were considering reacquiring their former All-Star, it reminded me of the guy who tries to hook back up with an old girlfriend and hopes that the sparks that were once there get reignited.

Of course, most of those stories of reuniting fail miserably because after all, there was a reason those two lovebirds broke up in the first place.

In terms of Texas, the reasoning they used to part ways with Hamilton a few years ago made perfect sense. He had spent five productive seasons with the club, helping them reach the World Series in 2010 and 2011, winning the AL MVP award in the process. In 2012, he had another monster season, slugging 43 home runs and driving in 128. The Rangers knew that as a free agent, Hamilton would ask for the world and wisely decided that perhaps at age 31, and with a history of abuse, Hamilton had peaked. The Los Angeles Angels were only too eager to sign him to pair with Albert Pujols and this Mike Trout kid to form a lineup that would terrorize opposing pitchers.

But the Angels were wrong. Anyone that knew Hamilton and how he was “taken care of” in Texas shuddered at the thought of him in La-La Land. Too many distractions, too many ways to get into trouble, and not enough people to keep him on the straight and narrow.

The Angels were wrong about his talent as well. A look at that 2012 season showed a player who went from 93 strikeouts in 2011 to 162 strikeouts in 2012. Things didn’t improve with the move to LA, as Hamilton whiffed 158 times in 151 games in 2013, and 108 times in just 89 games last year. Pitchers were finding it easier and easier to get Hamilton to swing at any first pitch they threw up there, no matter how far out of the zone. His plate discipline was almost non-existent as his K/BB ratio was an abominable 4:1.

So why oh why would the Rangers want him back now? Well, for starters, it’s only going to cost them about $7 million dollars, or perhaps even less. The Angels were so anxious to get rid of him, they agreed to pay nearly all of his bloated contract. Secondly, have you seen what the Rangers’ offense has been doing this year? Shin-Soo Cho (another overpaid free-agent acquisition) has been nothing short of awful this year, hitting .104 with a whopping five RBI. Ryan Rua, who earned the starting job in left field, is on the disabled list with a sprained ankle. Center fielder Leonys Martin has been the most “productive” outfielder, and he’s only hitting about .230. Meanwhile, Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre have combined to hit three home runs over the first 19 games.

So what should the Rangers expect when Hamilton returns to the field sometime in mid-to-late May. Well, I think everyone will agree that it won’t be the Josh Hamilton of 2010-11. And the Rangers are hoping it won’t be the Josh Hamilton who disappointed the Angels in 2013 and 2014. I’m guessing that he will struggle mightily in his return. First because he’s coming off shoulder surgery, but also the pressure to perform and the thousands of eyes watching his every move. If the Rangers can get 15-20 home runs and 70 RBI with a respectable batting average from June on, I think they would be more than happy with that.

If they don’t, then that’s $7 million dollars wasted that could have been spent on more pitching.

Mitch Cox is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Mitch, check out his archive and follow @chicofathead.