The Texas Rangers are working to hammer out a contract extension for superstar slugger Josh Hamilton, but they admit their odds aren’t good. Team president Nolan Ryan says he expects Hamilton to become a free agent at the end of this season, according to MLB.com.

“It’s hard to predict what will happen, things just have to play out,” Ryan said. “I think Josh would like to stay in Arlington, he’s very comfortable here and his family is very comfortable here. We’re certainly hoping we can work a deal out.

“I think they’re probably of the mindset to go through the season, see what happens and see what the market is.”

Hamilton, 30, is currently playing out the second year of a two-year contract in Texas. He’s making $13.75 million this season — he’s likely earning himself a huge raise with an MVP-caliber year so far in 2012. Hamilton leads the American League in batting average (.399), on-base percentage (.452), slugging percentage (.826), home runs (18) and runs batted in (45).

While his contract situation remains a giant issue for the Rangers, Hamilton insists that off-field matters won’t distract him from producing on the field for the rest of this season.

“No, not at all,” he said. “Even if I wasn’t having a good year, I wouldn’t be worried about free agency. I’m under contract to the Rangers. God will have me where he wants me next year, whether it’s [with the Rangers] or somewhere else.”

It’s the news so obvious that even Major League Baseball’s official Twitter account got a little snarky about it: Josh Hamilton was today’s no-brainer choice for American League Player of the Week.

SHOCKING: Josh Hamilton (.467, 9 homers, 18 RBIs) named AL Player of the Week.

—
  (@MLB) May 14, 2012

The Texas Rangers’ slugger hit four home runs in a single game against the Baltimore Orioles last Tuesday; he also doubled in the fifth inning, giving him an American League record of 18 total bases in a game. He also drove in eight runs, a career high.

Hamilton is on pace to win the Triple Crown, as his .402 batting average, 18 homers and 44 RBIs all easily lead the American League.

The Texas Rangers are working on a long-term extension for slugger Josh Hamilton, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.

Jon Daniels wouldn't give details and didn't reveal any new info but reiterated that Rangers are working to extend Josh Hamilton long term

—
JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) May 08, 2012

Hamilton, 30, is currently playing on a two-year contract — he avoided arbitration in February 2011 by signing for two seasons and $24 million. He will make $13.75 million from the Rangers in 2012, but his future is unknown.

There were rumors a month ago that Hamilton’s agent, Mike Moye, was sitting down for meetings with Rangers GM Jon Daniels to discuss a long-term deal, but that those talks never got very far.

Hamilton, a four-time All-Star and the 2010 American League MVP, has had a productive season on the field but a turbulent year off it. He’s hitting .376 this year with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs, but the recovering alcoholic and drug addict also had a binge drinking relapse in early February of this year.

Josh Hamilton spoke publicly tonight for the first time since the alcohol relapse that set him back two weeks ago, saying in an interview that he’s undergoing counseling and “doing things right a day at a time.”

Hamilton granted an exclusive interview to Pastor James Robinson on Glenn Beck’s live streaming video network tonight, in which he admitted his addiction was a serious issue and said he was undergoing counseling both individually and with his wife.

“We’re taking this as, obviously it’s a serious issue,” Hamilton said. “I had a slip-up in ‘09 and moving past that, it was, OK, I’m fine. OK, it was just one night, everything’s over and we didn’t really move back towards well, what caused some slip-up?

“So this time, it’s not just, ‘OK, it happened, we’ll move past it and maybe it won’t happen again,’” he said. “We want to find out why it continues to happen.”

Hamilton, the Texas Rangers slugger who won AL MVP honors in 2010, has had two alcohol-related relapses in three years’ time. The Rangers announced last week they were hiring an assistant to support Hamilton.

The Texas Rangers has hired an assistant to support Josh Hamilton, according to ESPN.com.

Shayne Kelley, who was once the team chaplain for the University of Alabama baseball team, has been tabbed as a major league staff assistant, and one of his tasks will be support Hamilton. He has already accompanied the outfielder to New York City to visit with a couple doctors.

Kelley, who has been around baseball for 15 years, will also help hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh.

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, had a relapse this week, according to a report from Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News.

Sources told Fraley that Hamilton drank alcohol on Monday night in an area bar, but the circumstances leading to the incident could not be determined.

The Rangers released a statement today to say they were “aware of a situation, but we don’t have further comment at this time.”

This was Hamilton’s second relapse into drinking in just over three years; he also drank to excess in a Tempe, Ariz., bar in January 2009.

Hamilton, the 2010 American League MVP, is entering the final year of his contract with the Rangers. He’s due to make $13.75 million in 2012.

The Texas Rangers will begin to raise railings around the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington during this offseason after one fan fell to his death when attempting to grab a ball thrown from the field of play, according to ESPN.

Shannan Stone, a local firefighter, died July 7 when attempting to catch a ball thrown to him from Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton. Stone fell approximately 20 feet in an area between the fence and the stands along the outfield wall at the park.

“We accomplished what we want to accomplish,” said Rob Matwick, Rangers executive vice president of ballpark operations. “We got the structural integrity we were looking for.”

The Rangers expect the project to be completed before Opening Day on April 6.