Sep 25, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton (32) bats during the game against the Oakland Athletics at Rangers Ballpark. Oakland won 3-2. . Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

As of Thursday afternoon, the Josh Hamilton isn’t really ever going to be a Phillie rumors were finally put to rest.  He is now, and will for the next five years, be a Los Angeles Angel of Anaheim (say that five times fast).

There is nothing to really be upset about here, for anyone. We know that five years is longer than pretty much every other team was willing to give Hamilton and his off the field issues.  And for $125 million, the risk was just too great.

But the reality is that someone was going to go to five years and that the Phillies would never have a shot.

The other reality is that Jon Daniels of the Rangers is somehow offended that he didn’t get a chance to counter offer.  Sometimes these folks that run MLB teams come across pretty naive   Did he really think that if Hamilton was blown away, he was going to come back to the Rangers, or just take the money and run? Hamilton did exactly what we would expect him to do.

Jon Daniels says #Rangers did not get call to match Angels’ offer. Daniels is not pleased with how negotiations ended.

— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilson_FWST) December 13, 2012

Now the Phillies have one less option.  Do they sign Nick Swisher and give up a draft pick, or sign Cody Ross?  Does a trade for Alfonso Soriano suddenly look more appealing at $10 million?

The other intriguing portion of this Hamilton to the Angels deal is the potential availability of Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo.  Power hitting corner outfielder?  If he doesn’t cost the whole farm system, Mark Trumbo could be a pretty attractive option.

With only a few possibilities left, RAJ now has to make a move, or be left with the less-than-ideal in-house options.  Your move, Ruben.

Justin Klugh

*douche chill* Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Ethan’s going to get to that Josh Hamilton mess in just a second, but throughout all of this, I have been yelling in my head a question:  WHY NO NICK SWISHER?  Don’t get me wrong, three, even two years ago, when my meds were far, far less effective, I would have hurled a cat in a mailbox if Swisher joined this team.

The cocky attitude, the “sports radio” voice, the constant smiling, the beating of us in the 2009 World Series.  None of it appealed to me.

But when you look at the real, hard numbers, that indicate the skill level of baseball being played, Swisher is an amicable option.  I mean he’s a total douche, and he K’s a bunch, but there’s some power coming from the right places.  Fortunately some people who aren’t insane today are asking the same question.

Meanwhile, check out this list of hard-asses the Phillies should pursue to fill a rotation spot, according to Matt Gelb!

…Joe Saunders, Chris Young, Carl Pavano, Derek Lowe, John Lannan, Jair Jurrjens, Kevin Millwood, and Chien-Ming Wang.

–Matt Gelb

Woooooooooooooooooo doggy

Ethan Seidel

By now you have all read about the preposterous rumor that has the Phillies sending Dominic Brown to the Cubs for Alfonso Soriano. Remember when the Phillies were in on Soriano 5 years ago when he became a free agent? And remember when he was a bust and cost the Cubs tens of millions in sunk costs?

Apparently none of that history is important to RAJ. Not that I think Brown is going to be a superstar, but this deal defies all logic. If you don’t believe me, read what Bill Baer has to say.

Would you give Josh Hamilton $80 mil for 3 years? That’s what the Phillies are reportedly offering for Hamilton’s services. 94WIP broke the news, but that’s not what’s important. Phillies fans, pay attention closely:  Josh Hamilton is not coming to Philadelphia.

I repeat, Josh Hamilton is not coming to Philadelphia.

Texas has too much to lose now if they can’t bring Hamilton back, after missing out on every big name available thus far.

IT’S NOT GONNA HAPPEN!

Ben Bernstein

Pretty funny article about Michael Young. Not everyone is too excited about the 36-year-old.  The trade really wasn’t that bad, but this interpretation of Ruben’s opinion of Young is great.

Get excited, boys and girls–2013 will be interesting.

Stephen Frey

It’s just nice to see then together again. Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

We can all agree that if Ruben Amaro, Jr. stops after the additions of Ben Revere and Michael Young (and subtraction of Vance Worley) the 2013 Phillies will once again be a flawed team. They are still in great need of a corner outfielder with power, a veteran relief pitcher, and a back of the rotation starter. However, our friend Todd Zolecki at MLB.com played everyone’s favorite game: Name That Line-up (with the roster as currently constituted).

The problem with Zolecki’s line-up is that it probably matches Uncle Charlie’s. He leaves Rollins in the lead off spot, puts Young second, platoons Dom Brown, Ruf, Nix, and Mayberry in the corners, and hits Revere 8th.

I would much rather use Revere at the top of the line-up and move Michael Young behind Howard as Manuel’s resident “professional hitter”. Until another legitimate cleanup hitter arrives, I believe the Utley-Howard 3-4 combination is still the best possible middle of the order.

Regardless, this may be an exercise in futility until game 26 when Chooch comes back and Ruben finds another outfielder.

John Stolnis

Hey, remember that time Jim Thome signed with the Phillies back in 2003 and they were still playing in the bowels of Veterans Stadium and no other free agent wanted to come here? That was cool. And remember that time when the Phillies brought him back to play one last season in Philadelphia to be a left-handed bench player/back-up first baseman even though his back was too messed up to actually play any first base? Right, that was last season. Hey remember that time the Phillies brought him back a third time to do, um, something? It hasn’t happened yet, but it might.

Could Dom Brown be headed to Chicago? Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

It’s well known that Domonic Brown’s value to the Phillies, either as a potential contributor or as a trade piece, has greatly diminished over the last two years. So much so the Phils are apparently ready to trade him for a bag of baseballs and a warm turkey sandwich.

CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman today tweeted that the Phils have considered moving Brown in exchange for Chicago Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano.

#phillies talked to cubs about domonic brown for soriano swap. but cody ross/other FA more likely now cbsprt.co/VS72Y7

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 11, 2012

First, a full disclosure. I am not one of the Dom Brown apologists. While I agree that he has not been treated well by the organization and that the Phils front office has jerked him around to the point of frustration, it is important to note than in parts of three seasons, Brown has yet to produce anything close to what was expected of him, and much of that is on him.

Dom Brown get cut way too much slack in some circles, and at some point, he’s going to have to produce.

He’s been disappointing so far. There’s just no other way to put it.

And Brown certainly should not be considered an untouchable piece anymore. Those days are long gone. The Phils should have no compunction about moving Domonic Brown should the right move come along.

I stress THE RIGHT MOVE.

Alfonso Soriano is not the right move. It makes no sense.

Soriano is a left fielder. The Phillies already have left fielders in Brown and Ruf. They need someone who can play right field. Soriano can barely manage to defend his current position (despite protestations from Heyman that Soriano’s defense was “greatly improved) let alone slide over to a different side of the diamond.

Really? They’d trade Dom Brown for ME??? Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Hilderbrand-USA TODAY Sports

Soriano is 36 years old, and although he had a decent offensive season last year (32 HRs, 106 RBIs, .262 batting average) and is a much-needed right-handed bat, trading a 25-year-old kid with a ton of promise for an aging veteran owed $36 million over the next two years is a fireable offense.

If Ruben Amaro trades Domonic Brown for Alfonso Soriano, he should be fired on the spot.

Not because Brown is definitely going to become some superstar. It’s more likely Brown is going to be the next Jeff Stone as opposed to the next Darryl Strawberry.

But trading any young player with potential for an aging, one dimensional former star who is unlikely to duplicate the numbers he recorded in 2012, would be a monumentally moronic decision.

Even if Chicago agreed to pick up all but about $10 million of Soriano’s contract, as Heyman reported, it still would be indefensible.

Thankfully, it doesn’t appear as if this is a serious rumor, and Heyman notes the Phils are more likely to go after a free agent outfielder like Cody Ross, Nick Swisher or even Josh Hamilton.

What IS clear is that between this rumor, Charlie Manuel’s comments last week about Brown, and the teams’s handling of Dom in recent years, the Phillies are down on him.

A split seems inevitable, and it might just be the best thing for both parties.

But the Phillies should not just give him away.

And that’s exactly what trading him for Alfonso Soriano would be doing.