Angels sign Hamilton to five-year, $125M deal

So much for those Josh Hamilton to the Phillies rumors.

The former Ranger signed a five-year, $125 million deal Thursday with the Los Angeles Angels. The 31-year-old Hamilton will have the second-highest average salary in baseball, trailing only the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez. His $25 million average annual salary matches the Phillies’ Ryan Howard.

Hamilton joins an already potent lineup that includes Albert Pujols and AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout. The Angels have yet to announce the deal, but Rangers GM Jon Daniels confirmed it at a holiday luncheon. According to Daniels, Texas never got a chance to match the offer.

“Our full expectation was that the phone call was going to be before he signed, certainly not after and giving us an idea,” Daniels told ESPN.