Star slugger Hamilton leaves Texas for Angels

Outfielder Josh Hamilton is joining fellow Major League Baseball star sluggers Albert Pujols and Mike Trout with the Los Angeles Angels, reportedly inking a five-year deal Thursday worth $125 million. ESPN, Fox Sports, CBS and the major leagues' official website reported the deal as completed even as the club refused to confirm the move. "As per team policy and MLB rules, the Angels will not comment on the status of any contract negotiations with players," the club said. "With that said, we continue to look for ways to improve our team. As soon as we have something formal to announce, we will do so." The Angels signed a $240 million free-agent deal with Pujols last year as well as landing C.J. Wilson, a former teammate of Hamilton at Texas as the Rangers won American League titles in 2010 and 2011 but each time lost in the World Series. Hamilton, 31, has hit .304 with 161 home runs and 553 rubs batted in over 737 major league games. This past season, he batted .285 with a career-high 43 home runs and 128 runs batted in. In 2010, Hamilton took American league Most Valuable Player honors after hitting .359. The move came after the Angels signed starting pitchers Tommy Hanson and Joe Blanton and a pair of relief pitchers and boosted the club payroll to around $165 million, about $60 million shy of the city rival Dodgers.