Torii Hunter Returns to Minnesota
2015 is likely going to be the final year of Torii Hunter’s Major League career, and as a free agent, he had a choice to make; he could join a contender to try and make one final run at a World Series title, or he could go back to Minnesota and finish his career where it started. According to Ken Rosenthal, he chose the latter.
Source: Torii Hunter signing with #Twins.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 3, 2014
Source: Hunter deal with #Twins is one year, $10.5M.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 3, 2014
Hunter’s deal is basically an exact match for the crowdsourced expectation, so kudos to you guys for nailing this one on the nose. As something like a +1 WAR outfielder, Hunter isn’t exactly a great use of funds for a Twins team that won’t be contending, but this is the kind of deal where measuring payroll efficiency misses the point the most.
The Twins very likely know that signing Hunter isn’t going to push the team into the postseason, and they probably know that there are better ways to spend $10 million this winter too. But Hunter is probably still a $7 or $8 million player, and so they’re paying a slight premium for the chance to let him have a victory lap in the town where he turned into a big leaguer. It’s a gesture of good will, and the kind of attraction that can add some enjoyment for the fans in a season that will probably be another stinker.
Hunter has had a very nice career, and now should get a chance to retire in the uniform he wore when he broke into the big leagues. He clearly placed a very high value on that opportunity, and while this move probably doesn’t push the Twins rebuild forward, it’s the kind of move that can create goodwill between the organization and their players and fans. And measuring that is probably out of our reach.
Hunter wanted to retire a Twin and the Twins gave him the chance to do so. It’s the part of baseball that we don’t specialize in, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value. Good for the Twins and good for Torii Hunter.
Dave is the Managing Editor of FanGraphs.
There is another advantage in here for both the Twins and Hunter. Assuming the Twins do what they’re liable to do and suck, they can flip him to a contender. That way, the Twins can get a little something extra out of this and Hunter still could get a chance at a ring.
I’ve always wondered about this. Dave Cameron estimated the value of a win at the deadline as twice as valuable as an offseason win. (http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/an-attempt-to-find-the-the-market-price-for-wins-in-july/)
Why don’t more non-contenders try to buy up cheap .5-1 win players, and pocket the ~$7 mil in profit at the deadline? The Russel – Samardzija trade might not have happened if the Cubs hadn’t kicked Hammel $6 mil before the season. He was a rather lucky case for the Cubs, but that’s kind of the point; there’s not much cost in non-contenders giving marginal players a shot, and moving them if/when they validate their true talent.
Cameron talked about the Cubs’ strategy after they signed Hammel. Why don’t more teams give marginal players a shot? (http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-cubs-idea-so-nice-theyre-trying-it-twice/)
This is what the Astros have tried a few times over the past couple of seasons, I think, when they signed players like Ronny Cedeno, Carlos Pena, and Jose Veras. Obviously they were all a lot cheaper than Hunter, but the Astros picked them up with an eye on flipping them at the deadline if they played well in the first half of the season.
This will go as well as Ken Griffey Jr’s return to Seattle.
Expect some naps in the clubhouse.
Ken Griffey Jr’s second victory lap in 2010 was a disaster, but his 2009 return with the Mariners was OK. The team won 85 games in a rebuilding year, he hit 19 home runs and was carried off the field in an impromptu celebration at season’s end.
Seems like he just took the most money. Nothing wrong with that but I don’t think Hunter was particularly concerned with finishing his career in Minnesota.
What’s your comment based on?
Hard to believe anyone was offering more. Without any discount it’s hard to say he did this because he wanted to be home. It’s probably reasonable to think both sides were more interested in this deal because of Hunter’s history with the Twins, but I’d guess that was only a very small consideration in the end.
Because Torii first said he’d play for either the Tigers or retire. Then he was leaning towards a contender. Finally, he signs with the Twins.
This will help the Twins about as much as the Bartlett and Kubel signings, except it will cost more. I’ve got May 22 as the date in the “When does Torii throw a teammate under the bus” pool.
He’s good at that.
Good job Twins, you signed a homophobic biggot who is barely a major leaguer for about twice what he should be making!
I presume this deal indicates it will be Hunter’s last season playing ball. I doubt he’d be going home to the Twins unless he intended to call it quits after the season.
The question that really matters to me……if they put him in RF, how does this help Arcia become a legit MLB OF (or even allow them to test that theory)? When did even last play LF?
How does this convince a FA SP to come here, given that they just about guaranteed they’ll have the worst OF defense in the game (with Arcia now in LF)?
Are you sure he isn’t going DH? The Twins don’t have one, and Hunter’s bat hasn’t really eroded much. His 113 wRC+ projection would make him something like a top five DH.
Kennys Vargas
Arcia played LF as recently as 2013 and he was only abysmal instead of the disaster he is in right.
As a season ticket holder with seats with a front row seats to the right field corner I can say that the advance stats match the eye. Arcia is not a good outfielder.
I am perplexed by this signing and I am really tired of the “The corpses of former Twins retirement parties”. We need to blow it up and rebuild, not this half in half out. That being said it’s probably just fine and I am glad it is only a year long contract.
Or maybe they do…
http://youtu.be/9Afb78NYZSc