It wouldn’t be a dive into the fountain of youth, but it would be a blast from the past if the Minnesota Twins sign free-agent outfielder Torii Hunter.
According to La Velle Neal III of the Star Tribune, the Twins have been in contact with Hunter and the former Twin is considering a return to his first big-league team.
“Despite being 39 years old, Hunter is drawing interest from multiple teams, including playoff teams from last season. That means Hunter’s decision could come down to how much he wants a shot to reach the World Series for the first time in his career, vs. a return to the club he broke into the majors with in 1997.”
Hunter recently told the Detroit Free Press that his preference is to return to the Tigers, but general manager Dave Dombrowski informed Hunter last week that he will not be asked to return. Hunter hit .289 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs in 2014.
One reason Torii Hunter remains valuable at age 39: His 17 HR in 2014 ranked in top 20th percentile among outfielders with at least 100 PA.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 17, 2014
SB Nation reports that the Twins and Royals, the reigning American League champs, are pushing hard to sign Hunter. The Blue Jays are also in on the veteran outfielder, as reported by Ken Rosenthal.
Neal added in his report that the presence of new Twins manager Paul Molitor and bullpen coach Eddie Guardado, both of whom Hunter is close with, could influence his decision.
Twins have real shot to sign Torii Hunter, but there are several other suitors. I sense the homing beacon is going off for No. 48, though.
— LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) November 21, 2014
Hunter has always been considered a “great clubhouse guy.” Former Cy Young award winner and Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander echoed the thought.
So gratedul to have been able to play with @toriihunter48 the last 2 yrs. He is a great player and even better person. #farewellTorii
— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) November 15, 2014
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