Torii Hunter Is Back With The Minnesota Twins

Veteran free agent outfielder Torii Hunter has returned to the place where his MLB career started, signing a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Minnesota Twins.

There was quite the market for Torii Hunter in free agency this winter. That was the case due to some combination of his ability to hit from the right side of the plate and the perception that he brings an awesome veteran presence he brings in the locker room.

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Hunter spent the first ten years of his big league career with the Twins. In the years since 2007, Hunter played for the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers. Now, at age 39 and looking for one more deal, Hunter is on his way back to where it all started.

It would seem that $10.5 million for Hunter is an awful lot of money, but there is something to be said for the fact that there is no such thing as a bad one-year deal in today’s MLB landscape.

Bob Nightengale reported the deal first:

The Minnesota #Twins win the Torii Hunter sweepstakes. He returns home on a 1-year contract in perhaps the final chapter of fabulous career.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 3, 2014

The Texas Rangers appeared to be close to signing Hunter, but the Twins swooped in and brought the veteran back into the fold.

Source: #Twins’ offer for Hunter was higher than #Rangers’.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 3, 2014

Hunter batted .286/.319/.446 last season for the Tigers. He has lost some pop and certainly is not an elite outfielder like he once was. His value is clearer on a contender, but the Twins seem to think they will benefit from having him around.

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