Nightengale: Angels pull coup with Josh Hamilton

• The Angels pulled off a devastating one-two punch with the stealth move
• The Angels signed Josh Hamilton to a five-year, $125 million contract
• The Rangers were willing to give Hamilton a four-year deal for about $100 million

Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno has a hot temper. He has little patience. He has an ego. He's ultracompetitive.

And, as we were abruptly reminded Thursday, the man has plenty of money.

The Angels magically seized the moment, stunning everyone for the second consecutive offseason by reaching an agreement with All-Star outfielder Josh Hamilton on a five-year, $125 million contract.

They pulled off a devastating one-two punch with the stealth move. They not only prevented the Texas Rangers from bringing Hamilton back at a bargain-basement three- or four-year contract, but the Angels also let the Dodgers know there's another team in Los Angeles. Well, Orange County. Specifically, Anaheim. But you get the point.

If the Dodgers can spend a trillion dollars and get the entire Los Angeles market to fawn all over them, the Angels can spend a billion bucks and steal their thunder.

"That's what Arte does," outfielder Torii Hunter told USA TODAY Sports. "He's stealth. He flies under the radar. When you're not thinking of something, that's when he does the unbelievable. It shouldn't be shocking, especially when he saw what (the Dodgers were) doing across town. There's no way he's going to let them outdo him."

Hunter, who spent the last five years with the Angels, initially was miffed when he learned of the signing. He wanted to stay with the Angels but was not even given a one-year, $13 million qualifying offer. He was told they just didn't have the money, so he signed with the Detroit Tigers.

"I understand it's a business, but I wish they didn't lie," Hunter said. "They told me the Vernon Wells contract (two remaining years, $46 million) was weighing everything down. That's the only thing that surprised me.

"But when you can get a guy like Josh Hamilton and put him with (Albert) Pujols — wow! (Hamilton) didn't even put it all together last year, and he still had (128) RBI. That is just sick."

Certainly, the Rangers were nauseated and quite peeved. They were willing to give Hamilton a four-year deal for about $100 million. Maybe they would have given him a five-year deal if pushed. Yet Rangers general manger Jon Daniels said the first time he was made aware of the Angels' offer was when Hamilton's agent telephoned him after Hamilton had already agreed to the deal.

"I didn't expect a chance to match it," Daniels told USA TODAY Sports, "but I did expect we'd talk before he made a decision."

It's a mysterious ending to Hamilton's tenure, perhaps appropriate considering the way Texas' season ended. The Rangers were favorites to win their third consecutive American League pennant in late September, but two weeks later they were sitting at home after losing 10 of their final 14 games — including the wild-card game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Hamilton slumped down the stretch and was serenaded by boos in his final at-bat, striking out on three pitches. He whiffed 20 times in his last 46 at-bats and a career-high 162 times during the season, batting .245 over the final four months. He conceded the booing was painful. Maybe it prompted his departure.

Now the Rangers must scramble for offense. They could attempt to trade for right fielder Justin Upton of the Arizona Diamondbacks or sign free agent outfielder Nick Swisher or free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche. Something must be done, or they risk morphing back to being the old Rangers.

The Angels have to do something, too. They have a surplus of outfielders and can deal one for pitching help. Hamilton will be in right field. Mike Trout will be in center. And, presumably, Mark Trumbo will be in left field, leaving defensive whiz Peter Bourjos as the primary trade bait, unless they instead trade DH Kendrys Morales.

It doesn't really matter. They had too many first basemen when they signed Pujols to a 10-year, $240 million contract last December and figured it out. Yet even with the additions of Pujols and former Rangers ace C.J. Wilson, the Angels missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

Now they're trying the free agent market again, this time convinced they'll get over the hump.

Isn't that what they said last year?

"They were a great team on paper beforehand," Daniels said. "They're a great team on paper now."

Touché.