Phillies Rumors: Checking in on Josh Hamilton?

The biggest prize on the free agent market among position players is Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton. And Ruben Amaro being Ruben Amaro, the Phillies have allegedly and "quietly" checked in on his availability, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Hamilton, 31, has famously struggled with substance abuse problems and has also suffered from other injuries over the past few seasons, including 2012's bizarre encounter with ocular keratitis brought on by consuming too many energy drinks.

Rosenthal speculates that the Phillies are just doing due diligence.

Despite this, Hamilton posted a .930 OPS in 2012, with little difference between home and away stats, which is very notable for a Texas Rangers player.

This is shaping up to be a very weird offseason, as the two biggest free agents -- Hamilton and Angels starting pitcher Zack Greinke -- both have off-field issues that will almost certainly affect the offers that each player gets.

Stay tuned for more...