Article: Torii Hunter is Returning to the Twins

[Richie the Rally Goat]

It's like a child hearing something from a parent, or me teaching my wife to golf. If I point something out, I'm a moron and know nothing. If a friend says the exact same thing, in the exact same manner, it's like the word of God being spoken. There's some things that respected players can "coach" that will be heeded 1000X more than a coach saying it.

one important difference. These players aren't Molitor's kids or wives. Molitor is their manager, leader of their coaching staff. If the coaching staff can't do it, then what is the point of having them?

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

Hey, this is fun. Sports are fun. Torii Hunter is fun. And if he can light a fire under the boys, even better. I like the move of bringing Torii in as a player-coach, and if he hits 20 homers, all the better.

 

Also, I'm glad that Twins Daily is FINALLY covering this story, with three articles? Guys, did you take a long Thanksgiving Break? This story has been in the local media all week. Seems like you got out-scooped, and are only picking up the story after-the-fact.

[tobi0040]

The story was broken about 24 hours ago.

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

The story broke 24 hours ago? How about this story from the Strib, dated Nov. 21: "Torii Hunter Pondering a Return to the Twins" plus numerous reports of his Thanksgiving dinner with former teammate and new bullpen coach, Eddie Guardado. Sorry, Twins Daily was asleep at the keyboard on this one.

[Linus]

Okay, some of you take your baseball and the Twins WAAAYYY to seriously IMHO. Torii chose to come back to the Twins. Reportedly he left money and/or years on the table, to come back to the Twins, losers of 90 games a season since forever.

 

Yeah he's older, not even good a fielder any more, probably won't hit as well, I don't care, and I don't care about the Pohlad fortune; they can afford it.

 

What has had me smiling all day is a great Twin chose to come back here and try to help rebuild the specialness of a team that had it in spades back in the day, that "played the game the right way." Souhan's story about Puckett opening his wallet to a young Hunter, that's what has been missing, real star-power AND personality that can influence young guys to work harder and have fun too.

 

No way are the Twins worse off having this guy back in the fold.

 

Somewhat off-topic, but the Edmonton Oilers are proof you can have all the glorious prospects in the world, but without the proper mentorship, they founder.

 

I am hoping Hicks and Arcia will be the first beneficiaries of this, then Buxton.

 

I think of it as an add to the coaching staff as well.

 

Anyhoo, baseball is a pleasure and pastime, and getting back one of my favorite Twins ever is more a cause of celebration than despair.

 

Please take this as it is intended, but there is an emotional side to the game that gets lost in stats and advanced stats and uber-advanced stats. Feel good stories should be enjoyed even if the numbers don't add up.

No way he left money on the table

I'm sure the only reason he came here was the money.

[Homer Hanky]

i love this signing for what the ESPN article may have hit on below: 

 

"Hunter's return also figures to help out Joe Mauer, the face of the franchise who has always preferred to lead by example and has never been comfortable with speaking up and holding teammates accountable.

 

Now Hunter is back to take up that responsibility, and he has the résumé, the paycheck and the on-field skills to pull it off." 

[Linus]

Since that point of view amounts to valuing looks over personal attributes, and is considered shallow (at least when I do it ), I'm not sure this analogy goes in the direction you hoped.

Not sure I follow The point I was making is that when they start talking leadership and intangibles it usually means you can't play anymore. I think the press conference proved my point on the leadership BS

[D. Hocking]

No way he left money on the table

I'm sure the only reason he came here was the money.

 Being that he said the following last week, I agree.  Not that he does not have some genuine emotional response on coming back, but we were not his first choice (he understandably wanted to be on a stronger contender) but he either did not get the offers or we simply had a much better monetary offer.

 

"Hunter told the Los Angeles Daily News on Saturday that Baltimore, Seattle and the Rangers are at the top of his list. Hunter said Minnesota, his original club, is also a possibility but not as likely as the other clubs."

[Otto von Ballpark]

I imagine that perhaps other offers were not forthcoming, as other teams waited for their own Plan A/B/etc. at the position, and the Twins made a big take-it-or-leave-it offer early like they did with Nolasco.

[Otto von Ballpark]

My Facebook feed is blowing up with positive reactions to the Hunter signing, so it appears we are in the minority.

[tobi0040]

Don't feed the greed,

 

Up until 24 hours ago, hunter was linked to at least four teams and some reports suggested the twins are not in his top three. What type of story should they have ran a week ago?

[D. Hocking]

Up until 24 hours ago, hunter was linked to at least four teams and some reports suggested the twins are not in his top three. What type of story should they have ran a week ago?

 

Plus, it is not like it was not discussed at all on the board.  There were a few threads heavily discussing the potential of Torii returning the last couple of weeks.

[jokin]

The story was broken about 24 hours ago.

 

The story broke 24 hours ago? How about this story from the Strib, dated Nov. 21: "Torii Hunter Pondering a Return to the Twins" plus numerous reports of his Thanksgiving dinner with former teammate and new bullpen coach, Eddie Guardado. Sorry, Twins Daily was asleep at the keyboard on this one.

 

Greed is spot-on here.  On every little turn in the story, the Twins were still a part of the conversation.  When it was reported that Molitor was doing his own full court press, it was very evident that the Twins weren't going to give up on this one.  Terry Ryan identified early-on what he wanted, statistical evidence be damned, and he's been really good in the past at bargaining against himself (Pelfrey).  Once we heard about Guardado and Thanksgiving dinner, I was pretty sure that we were witnessing the Twins version of a Brett Favre moment.  My only question at the time was whether or not they would be held up for a two-year deal to get it done.

[jokin]

Don't feed the greed,

 

Up until 24 hours ago, hunter was linked to at least four teams and some reports suggested the twins are not in his top three. What type of story should they have ran a week ago?

 

The source involved here was likely Hunter's agent playing hardball with the Twins.

[tobi0040]

I guess I don't know what was missed. Seems like the site has stories about things that happened and things that we would like to see happen. That would have been gossip and rumors.

[Monkeypaws]

Actually, after hearing his press conference, in spite of my previous rah rah post, my next question is, why do I bother with pro sports? Really, I'm a grown man. The better part of me calls me on the absurdity of it all.

[Pius Jefferson]

Berardino is on the radio now. He said he asked about outfield defense and gay marriage because those are the two things fans were talking about the most in regards to the Hunter signing. 

 

This guy is a great beat writer, we're lucky to have him in our market. 

 

Who the hell is Bernadino talking to that Hunter being against gay marriage is one of the two big talking points?

[JB_Iowa]

Mostly I was hoping Hunter returning wouldn't happen .... and I had plenty of opportunities to express that on TD ... and did. 

[tobi0040]

The source involved here was likely Hunter's agent playing hardball with the Twins.

 

In hindsight that it easy.  But in the thick of it, most on these boards were suggesting he had no interest in returning to the Twins, but was using the coming home angle as a ploy to get more money out of a contender.  He very well may have been having dinner with folks in Seattle, Baltimore, Texas, or other areas.

 

I guess I am just not sure what the story TD missed should have said?   It was common knowledge we were pushing for him and we were allegedly on his list.  Should they have broken a story that he was coming here when it was still not clear he was?   I don't see anyone that broke a story saying that.  The only newsworthy item beyond rumors with multiple teams linked was the fact that he signed, about 36 hours ago.

 

The fact that the story was broken by USA today is probably not worth noting either.  I am guessing they have slightly more resources at their disposal than the typical TD writer, who best I can tell all have other full time jobs.  Personally, I like the fact that TD writers always give props to the actual person that breaks the story.  It is very classy.  I see them go out of their way to do so on the message boards and within their columns.  Another approach would be the one CBS did on their story "our own Jon Heyman has confirmed that Torii Hunter has signed with Minnesota on a one year contract".  It gives the appearance that they are breaking something when they didn't, with no mention of who did break it.

Edited December 4, 2014 by tobi0040

[Otto von Ballpark]

Seattle, Baltimore, Texas

On the subject of other teams rumored for Hunter's services, it is interesting that Seattle and Texas (and Kansas City, whom I heard mentioned) were among the worst offenses in the league in 2014, and Baltimore was losing both a starting OF and a DH in free agency (KC is losing guys at those two spots too).

 

The Twins had the least compelling reason, from a performance standpoint, to sign a 39 year old, ~110 OPS+ corner OF.

[Brock Beauchamp]

On the subject of other teams rumored for Hunter's services, it is interesting that Seattle and Texas (and Kansas City, whom I heard mentioned) were among the worst offenses in the league in 2014, and Baltimore was losing both a starting OF and a DH in free agency (KC is losing guys at those two spots too).

 

The Twins had the least compelling reason, from a performance standpoint, to sign a 39 year old, ~110 OPS+ corner OF.

Sigh.

 

Sigh.

 

*grabs bottle of scotch*

[Mike Sixel]

I do find it fascinating that no contender would offer him the same, or better, deal. Or maybe they did, and he really wanted to come home.

 

I'd have rather traded Milone for Saunders, and moved Saunders to LF.

[tobi0040]

I do find it fascinating that no contender would offer him the same, or better, deal. Or maybe they did, and he really wanted to come home.

 

I'd have rather traded Milone for Saunders, and moved Saunders to LF.

 

I don't have time to list the things I would have done before signing Hunter.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I don't have time to list the things I would have done before signing Hunter.

Here you go:

 

1. Sign someone else

2. Grab a sandwich

3. Do literally anything else that sounds remotely interesting

4. Sign Torii Hunter

5. Do nothing

[TheLeviathan]

I think you have 4 and 5 out of order Brock.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I think you have 4 and 5 out of order Brock.

Nah, that was intentional. Hunter has a pretty decent bat and he'll almost certainly be an upgrade over any internal options available at this point.

 

July could be a different story once more options are available from the minors but Hunter should be better than Schafer or Hicks in April/May.

[tobi0040]

Does anyone else find it funny that the Twins say they still think Torii can play defense, yet they moved Arcia to left? Isn't that an indictment that we feel Arcia > Hunter, so much so that it is worth moving the 23 year old out of his long term position?

 

Or did the Twins take a look at last year and say, we need to give Acia more space to chase balls down!

Edited December 4, 2014 by tobi0040

[jokin]

I do find it fascinating that no contender would offer him the same, or better, deal. Or maybe they did, and he really wanted to come home.

 

I'd have rather traded Milone for Saunders, and moved Saunders to LF.

 

Me too, but it would have taken more than Malone, and I don't think Ryan is ready to give up any of his prospect "pieces" yet.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Me too, but it would have taken more than Malone, and I don't think Ryan is ready to give up any of his prospect "pieces" yet.

Milone's 2014, especially the Twins portion, hurt his value, but I don't know that it would have taken too much more than him to equal one year of not-so-cheap J.A. Happ.  A marginal prospect, perhaps?

 

I saw a lot of rumors about Saunders being shopped, and none mentioned the Twins.  I think the Twins had their sights set on their #1 outfield target from day 1 this offseason, unfortunately.

[shs_59]

I'm not saying the pro's outweigh the cons but  REASONS signing Torii Hunter is a Good Idea/ investment.

 

 

1. Fans , mainly longtime Die_hard Minnesota Twins fans, yes you're brotherin. Get to witness the Derek Jeter like Closing escapades in A minnesota Nice kind of way , for what its worth.

 

2. Many of those same fans get to bring out the old tathered #48 jersey out of the closet and Actualy WHERE it to Target Field.   NO NEED to buy a Hicks jersey.

 

3. Some and possibly very few of these same fans, will NOT for-go renewing season tickets and help stave off falling into disparity and the Tampa Bay Rays like payroll #'s untill we are relevent again.  ( meaning 85-115 Million annually is a REALITY because of MOVES Like the Torii Hunter signing.)

 

4. The Puckett to Hunter dynamic exists; and Do you think the Hicks to Buxton dynamic was at all going to be a proponent into Buxton's development?  Nahhh its Hunter to Buxton. Thats the torch we are witnessing now.   (I Don't Care if Hunter actually helps Byron .01 % with his development or 5% either way it a positive.) Also Hunter's presence helps allow for the Twins FO to avoid rushing Buxton in any way.

 

5.  He Makes things a bit more interesting for 2015, and maybe fun again for Joe Mauer. And others.

 

6. Getting him off of Detroit, where he could NOT DH , (Victor Martinez)   WIll now allow him to have fresher legs than he did in 2014, for much of 2015. Assuming he DH's twice as much as he did in Detroit.  It will help down the stretch.  The question is how much or how little?

  -Also you take away a middle of the order bat from a Division Foe.

 

7. THE 2016 SALARY CAP...... In a genious move by TR, forcing the Pohlads to spend the $10.5 Million on Hunter for one season, absolutely means the same 10.5 for the 2016 Season will be spent on a NEW player or towards player(s)  in a Positive way for the Future of the Minnesota Twins.

 

8.  Hunter gets to one way or another retire as a Minnesota Twin, and i'm not sure if he's Hall worthy but going in with a Twins cap seems so right.   Spider-man Hunter and his wall climbs...may be no More but maybe Superman's kyrptonite he can be for us in 2015.

Edited December 5, 2014 by shs_59