Minnesota Twins Reportedly Interested In Torii Hunter Reunion

The Minnesota Twins reportedly are interested in signing free agent outfielder Torii Hunter, who spent his first 11 MLB seasons with the Twins.

Torii Hunter spent his first 11 seasons with the Minnesota Twins and then bolted in free agency when Minnesota could no longer afford him. Now seven years later and in the twilight of his career, Hunter is again a free agent and one team reportedly interested in his services is the Twins.

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Hunter was a first-round pick by the Twins back in 1993, and played with the Detroit Tigers last season and also spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. Hunter’s first preference might be to return to Detroit. There he could chase a World Series ring with a Tigers team, but assuming he doesn’t get the right offer from a contender (or, the right offer from the right contender), returning to Minnesota would seem to be an attractive consolation option for Hunter. Detroit would probably like to retain Hunter, but cost will be a factor as the Tigers have a few other needs and a lot of payroll already committed.

Hunter’s defense has eroded to the point where he’s probably better off as a DH, but he still can hit, and had 17 home runs in both of his seasons with the Tigers. He’s no longer considered a speedy leadoff hitter, as he hasn’t stolen more than nine bases since 2010, and his on base percentage dropped to .319 last year, which was his lowest total since 2003. Hunter also grounded into 18 double plays, partially as a result of the age in his legs.

Still, Hunter can be useful, and he’ll be expected to be in a leadership role if he returns to the Twins. The 18-year veteran was an all-star with Detroit in 2013.

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