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The really frustrating thing is Rasmus is still available and probably signs about the same deal. 11 years younger. Can play all 3 positions, which could be valuable as you want hicks on the corner if he turns it around (not our long term cf) Or flexibility if Rosario or buxton light it up. Probably the same stick with much better defense. And you get a pick next year when he leaves.

Sigh. At least it's only a one-year deal. That doesn't make it okay, but at least it's just that. Ugh.

Seth, if "not the end of the world" is your endorsement of our first big player move of the offseason... then it's probably not a good move. It's OK to say that, and I am not sure why that counts as a "complete overreaction". $10.5 mil is the 2nd largest outside FA AAV the Twins have ever given out.

What can I say, I'm sentimental. For my part, I like what this says about the Twins as an organization (in so far as a worthwhile place to work). It's hard to imagine that a contender wouldn't match what the Twins offered. It's cool Torii wanted to come back, probably when he didn't have to, and he will have few, if any more opportunities to compete. While I'd prefer to watch meaningful baseball in 2015, the notion was always only at the edge of realism. If 2015 is about development, I don't see why Hunter doesn't make sense. Sure, he showboats, but from what I know about the player is that he's passionate (Morneau-swing/Punto hit, etc.) and has faced real-life adversity (his father). Again, this is sentimental, but this deal is as much about Hicks, Rosario, Buxton and the others as it is Hunter's actual production and liability.

Moving Arcia to left field would be so short sighted. Rosario is not going to be RF. They desperately need a player with range in LF and they signed another DH.

It's in the article, but Doogie reported that if the Twins signed Hunter, he would play RF with Arcia moving to LF. This part of the deal, I don't like.

Making Arcia switch positions now would be a bad call, especially with the debate over moving Plouffe/Sano there in the future. Arcia's the right fielder of the Minnesota Twins. Move Torii to left field.

Seriously? And for ten million dollars? We're not going to make back ten million dollars in the tickets Torii will sell to old fans of the Piranhas who have long since stopped caring about coming to the ballgames. I still like Torii as a player (even though he's not very good) and I do hope he can serve as a mentor to the younger outfielders. ...But damn, we could have spent ten million on a much more worthwhile player (read: pitcher) than Torii Hunter.

For some reason, Kaat has never seemed to get the same love and respect from the Twins organization that others from his era have. I've never understood that. Maybe there were hard feelings on one side or the other after his days in the Twins booth were over or some other acrimony with the Twins. I don't know. I do know that the Twins gave up on him too early... twice. Once, as a pitcher (he won 20 games for the WSox twice after the Twins gave up on him as a pitcher) and once as a broadcaster (he went on to be just about the best analyst in the business after his time in the Twins booth). I don't know the reasons why he was traded or why he stopped broadcasting Twins games, but the Twins were worse off without him in both cases. Regardless of whether he gets voted in to the HoF, I don't think any other former Twins player is more worthy of being the next to get honored by a statue at Target Field. The fact that the Twins have put up statues of two owners, a writer and a mascot before honoring Kaat is simply an embarrassment.

The Twins probably haven't done him any favors by not retiring his number. If I was a voter and saw that the team he spent his formative years with didn't think he was as good of a player as Kent Hrbek, I'd have second thoughts.

Last offseason, the most head-scratching series of moves the Twins made was signing Jason Kubel, Jason Bartlett and Matt Guerrier, all of whom were aging and coming off down seasons. The strategy was apparently based on familiarity more than anything else, and the outcomes were roundly terrible. On Tuesday, the Twins made their first big splash of this offseason, signing Torii Hunter to a one-year, $10.5 million deal. And while it's certainly a better move than any of those mentioned above, once again the team seems to be eschewing logic in favor of comfort, familiarity and vague intangibles.Hunter was a fixture -- THE fixture, really -- in Minnesota's run of AL Central dominance from 2002 through 2006, when they won four division titles in five years. He has continued to produce at a consistently excellent level since leaving in '07. There's no denying that he's had a fantastic career and has taken pristine care of his body. But the No. 1 imperative for the Twins this offseason, if they wanted to meaningfully improve in 2015, was to find ways to prevent more runs. A contact-heavy pitching staff with a league-worst defensive outfield was a recipe for disaster needing to be addressed. In theory, signing a nine-time Gold Glover would appear to do just that, but Hunter is no longer the asset in the field that he once was. Far from it. I don't put a ton of stock into defensive metrics but Hunter ranked as the worst right fielder in the majors this year by both DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) and UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating), so it's probably safe to say he wasn't good. Now, the Twins are evidently going to stick him in right field and move Oswaldo Arcia -- who was already a liability there due to lack of range and bad instincts -- to left, where his weaknesses are magnified by increased action and real estate. The Twins aren't improving their outfield defense. Astonishingly, they are moving in the opposite direction. Download attachment: hunter.jpg In order for this signing to benefit them, Hunter would have to make up for that negative impact in other ways. I can't see him doing it offensively. This year he posted a .765 OPS with 17 homers and 33 doubles in 142 games, which is impressive for a 39-year-old but only slightly above average for an American League right fielder. He has remained stunningly effective into his late 30s, but Hunter will turn 40 next July and is at an age where skills can deteriorate quickly. As you may recall, Jim Thome went from being an MVP-caliber hitter at 39 to out of the game at 41. Hunter will still probably bring a decent bat but it's a stretch to expect much more than that. What it comes down to, then, is a word we'll probably hear tossed around a lot in discussion of this signing: mentorship. The Twins have a young club, and Hunter generally has a reputation for being a good guy who brings energy and positivity to the clubhouse. I don't know how to weigh that. It's the same kind of stuff we heard from Ron Gardenhire last year in justification of Bartlett's inexplicably long leash, so I tend to downplay it. This notion that attitude is the difference between a 90-win team and a 60-win team is comically ludicrous. The $10.5 million price tag is high, but that doesn't bother me -- quite to the contrary actually. They had to overpay on a one-year deal to lure their guy away from interested contenders, and for that I commend them. I just feel like the Twins view Hunter as "their guy" for all the wrong reasons. Why do they need to sign a mentor/leader when they just assembled an entirely new coaching staff? Why add a 39-year-old in the twilight of his career when they're rebuilding? How does it aid Arcia's development to be playing out of position for one season before inevitably moving back to right and needing to re-adapt? The Twins may still be stuck with the idea of Hunter as the player he used to be, but he's no longer a guy who hits 25 homers, steals 20 bases and tracks down everything in the outfield. He's an aging and declining version of what he was, much like the last round of reunion tour additions. I can only hope things work out a whole lot better this time, but it certainly doesn't seem like the Twins learned much from that fiasco. Click here to view the article

I've never "endorsed" the deal... I've said over and over during the past 2 months that I didn't want the Twins to sign Hunter... Now they have. I've repeated several times on twitter and on this site that I woudln't like it. But, now it's reality. I still don't like it, but we all knew/assumed it was coming. He can still do some things and we have to just hope that he'll be worth something.

1)I agree completely. Arcia is always going to be a liability in the outfield and with Vargas/Sano in the future there is only so much room for so many all bat, little glove players. Arcia could actually net something in trade due to his age/power potential. I just hope if you are right that he doesn't turn into this decades Big Papi. 2)Have the Twins said for sure Arcia will be moved instead of Hunter? I've seen that come from a columnist/beat writer but who knows what Ryan/Molitor have in mind. For all the talk about Molitor being more metrically based its hard to believe he would be oblivious to how bad both of them in the outfield together would be. 3)Would people please stop comparing Hunter to Kubel, Bartlett, and Guerrier. Hunter was healthy and offensively productive last year(and several years prior) as compared to the huge unknown/gamble those three posed last year coming off horrible years(Kubel) or basically being out of baseball with injury(Bartlett, Guerrier) 4)I am all for bringing back guys like Eddie, Molitor, and Torii who can bring the 'Twins Way' back. That used to be a source of pride, of doing all the little things right, of maximizing talent. If this new, talented generation could be taught those things they could be amazing. Just because the 'Twins Way' has turned into a joke in recent years doesn't mean it can't come back to life.

So I just talked to my 80-year-old mother on the phone. I said "Did you hear who the Twins signed?" And before I could say who, she said "Oh no, not him again!" I laughed pretty hard. OK, I've told everyone how my mother and daughter responded. I won't share any more family stories tonight. My wife doesn't care anyway.

I love the complete overreaction here. It's fun to read. I've been against the Twins signing Hunter all offseason too. I do think the Leadership angle, which will be a mantra, is overrated. We know his defense isn't great. The biggest thing that bugs me is that it's moving Arcia to left field. That said, it's not the end of the world. He's been very good for a long time. Is he going to be work $10 million again? Maybe not, though he certainly could be. I know his range is down, but he'll make the plays he gets to, and he'll certainly get to more than some of their outfielders got last year. I like the one-year aspect of it. $10.5M is, well, who cares? It's not like it'll stop them from signing anyone else that might come here. Rasmus probably would be signed for 3-4 years. Rosario isn't ready. He had a nice showing in the AFL that is encouraging, but he's likely not going to be up before July. Who knows? If he plays half-way well, he could be traded for something. Definitely not the end of the world, the sky isn't falling or anything like that.

I am not thrilled with this but it could ...could work out IF Torii teaches Hicks how to hit Torii teaches Arcia how to field Torii fires up the clubhouse without punching anybody out then I like it. Did Schaffer get non tendered?

Has anyone checked hell? Is it frozen over?

Now I like the deal even less.

Maybe not the best baseball move, but my 14 year old self likes it.

keithlaw ‏@keithlaw · 18m18 minutes ago Torii Hunter is barely a replacement-level player. This feels like the Ken Griffey Jr return to Seattle.

Does he play left? Where will he hit in the order? How much will he play? Don't like the move.

More great outfield defense. With Hunter and Arcia they'll need superman in center.

Welcome back Torii! I never wanted him to leave in the first place and I wanted him to come back sooner. I was indifferent on whether he came back at this point as the Twins are rebuilding, but it'll be good to see him in the line up again. He has been a consistent hitter throughout his career and I hope he can continue hitting around .300 and be clutch for the Twins like he has been throughout his career.

So, Arcia in left and Torii in right? Or does the veteran switch positions? How's that going to work out?

Blyleven is 5th all-time in strikeouts... Top 5 in the league in Ks in 14 seasons - 4th or better every year for the whole decade of the 1970s. Compared to his peers (not including Nolan Ryan) Blyleven struck out more batters than most.

I attended one game in Oakland where Milone pitched against our Twins. I will forever be grateful to him for demonstrating to my satisfaction that Pedro Florimon is not a major league hitter. He can have a roster spot on my team for as long as he likes.

How many other 17-time gold glove award winners have been passed over for induction?

As a reference point. Swarzak pitched 86 innings. Duensing 54. Tonkin 19.

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Minnesota Twins have won the Torii Hunter sweepstakes. The long-time Twins outfielder will return to the Twins on a one-year contract. Further reports indicate it is worth $10.5 million. (More details to come, but feel free to discuss.)The Minnesota Twins have apparently agreed to terms with 39-year-old outfielder Torii Hunter on a one-year contract. The outfielder was the Twins #1 draft pick in 1993 and made his debut with the Twins in 1997. He stayed with the Twins until he became a free agent after the 2007 season. He signed a five year, $90 million deal with the Angels. After that contract, the Tigers signed him for the past two years. Last week in a 1500 ESPN interview with Patrick Reusse, new Twins bullpen coach Eddie Guardado acknowledged that he and his family was in Texas and had dinner a couple of nights in a row with Hunter and his family. He said at that time, "I'm trying!" Hunter is likely being brought in for veteran leadership, or at least that's what will be the mantra we are likely to hear. Though he has been arguably the worst defensive right fielder in baseball (statistically) the last two seasons, he has hit well. In fact, in 2013, he won a Silver Slugger Award. Darren Wolfson pointed out last week that he heard that if the Twins signed Hunter, he would play right field with Oswaldo Arcia moving back over to left field. Click here to view the article

Our rotation should be crying themselves into a bottle tonight.

If Torii can manage to assist in that endeavor, then I'll be all in in hindsight.

I am not overly thrilled with the move - I would rather see someone who can be part of the future get the experience and become part of the team. I also don't think he is the club house leader is the popular belief. I don't think he is toxic, but do think he can get passive aggressive when he is not happy, and ultimately it seems like it is all about Torii. I think he could be good energy if things are going well, but don't think he will have a positive effect if we are struggling and will be looking at and focused on what is next for him as he did in 2007. But mainly, I would prefer not to have Kubel 2015 (although I think he has a lot more potential to be good offensively). Still I did not think it was a horrible move until I read this: If the Strib collective things it is a good move -- it can only bring tears. I also suspect half of the comments were able to work in a slam against Mauer while praising Torii.,

I have to wonder if this is just the first shoe to drop in what could be other outfield moves. I have thought for awhile that Arcia is on borrowed time with the club. Could we see Arcia on the block for pitching with the Twins looking to add a legitimate left fielder? Just speculation, but with Rosario close and Buxton not far behind, Arcia may be expendable.

GREAT SIGN Tori will be worth his weight in gold come Spring Training alone, as the young'ins practice with him on a day to day basis. The little tid bits they receive will be unmeasureable. I disagree Seth. Leadership is important. As everyone complains about rhe Twins OF defense - Ask yourself who in the hell has been their OF defensive mentor. Anyone you marvel about? This church mouse team needs someone to light a fire under them from a player perspective and someone who does it the right way. The corner OF positioning depends on where the coaches want to shift anyway. They can take the burden off either guy with a shift during any AB. Great Sign. - Somebody ask Buxton and other young guys what they think.

Knowing the TD crew would have this topic covered well over here, I simply posted my thoughts over at Knuckleballs, rather than both sites. If you care to read my thoughts, here's the link. Basically, I tried to make sense of what just doesn't make much sense.

Nailed it. Two needs. Pitching and of defense. This makes both worse. Somehow.

Needs: Upgrade OF defense Top of the rotation pitching What we do: Sign a player who negatively affects both our needs. Who cares about helping the team win when you can sell more tickets?!?! I just started my 2015 draft boards but I guess I better start looking into the 2016 draft also.

To over pay him and make sure he did not go to the Rangers I am guessing? The Twins must have really, really wanted him.

I'm with you all on Torii being half-the-player he was and the thought of him on one side on an unknown and Arcia on the other makes me tremble as much as any pitcher in the rotation who is unable to throw a strikeout. I told my wife the news and she immediately said: "Honey, we have to buy our season ticket package again." Right now, going into Twinsfest and the winter months, the Twins have to do something, anything, to create a brand look, a marketing plan, and to sell advance tickets. Sad to say, right now, Torii will do that. People will cheer when he appears at Twinsfest. I'm sure the overzealous $10.5 million payout is including some public relations, banquet appearances, maybe the winter caravan. Yes, it will all catch up with the Twins come May 1, probably. But if he sells an additional 3-5-7 thousand season ticket packages or more, if in his own outspoken way he fires up the rabble, if the Twins can come out of April not as a flyball pitching club, but with starters that dominate the batters into strikeouts and groundballs, we will have a good attendance to open the season. In the short term, the Twins need to put butts (or non-show dollars) into the seats, buying time until the new crowd comes in and gets a taste. I don't know anyone else in the free agent sphere that the Twins would afford that will create excitement for the team amongst the common fan as Torii. He gives us a solid 40-year-old bat behind Mauer, he gives us an alternative at DH if Vargas sophomore slumps, he gives us a body in leftfield if we can't break camp with Buxton or Rosario or Hicks (two would be a dream, but highly doubtfull. Now, we need some non pitch-to-contact starters and some high-throwin' bullpeners.

With this signing it is imperative that the Twins do everything in their power to acquire Bourjos right now - they should have done it yesterday, because Hunter will be an everyday player for the most part (550-600PA's if healthy).

Imagine how much he would take home if he had his "wheels" still underneath him

It will be fun to see him back in the lineup. He certainly killed the Twins last year. Welcome home Torii

Yes, yes, yes. Jim Kaat belongs in the HOF. I hope the veteran's committee finally makes that happen. All Twins' pitchers should be required to watch tapes of Jim's delivery and how to be ready to field the ball. Pitcher's are just lazy now. They are an important part of defense after the ball is pitched.

I think a really close contemporary comp for Kaat is Mike Mussina - if Moose is deemed worthy by voters and gets in, I think Kaat should be in too.

That is my thought process as well. The guy will make $2.5M. That is not a lot of money. He is absolutely better than some of the AAAA types that will at some point come up and make 15-20 starts. And Milone has better than a snowballs chance at pitching at least league average and having a decent couple of years. I am not sure why we would cut him.

I think Blyleven was a better pitcher than Kaat, though I think both were very good. I give Blyleven the edge with all the Shutouts and Strikeouts. Some of that is longevity, but being able to remain on a major league roster (and in a starting rotation) is an accomplishment on its own. If the voters were looking at defense, I think Kaat would get a well-deserved boost. Both in reputation and iby the numbers, Kaat was one of the better defenders at his position. He could also handle the bat pretty well for a pitcher.

PS, why all the hate for Nunez? OK, so he's only so-so with the glove, but he's no butcher. He can hit a little, he has some pop, he can run, and he offers some positional flexibility. Isn't that what you want in a utility or second utility player on the roster? I don't think he's long term for the club, Beresford, Michael and Polanco could and should all push him at some point this season or the end of this season. But for the now, I'd hold on to him. In the context of professional sports, he's not going to cost you much of anything to bring in and have around. He might even surprise a little. There is enough potential available to do so.

They indeed may try him as a starter again: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-marlins/sfl-marlins-royals-trade-20141128-story.html Suspiciously I was not cited in Mr. Rodriguez's piece and the Marlins failed to give me credit for the idea though I posted it nearly 45 minutes before the article was published. No doubt if a search history was performed on Rodriguez or GM Dan Johnson's computer this page would show up.

I just wanted to say thanks for a really informative and thought-provoking article. I feel like 80% of what I know about Masterson I just learned here -- and I thought I knew about him before. I really love the blend of scouting, mechanics, medical analysis, interviews, and statistics. Just great stuff from beginning to end. Thanks, and keep 'em coming!

I'm not the one presuming he can outsmart the market. People think 1 year guaranteed bounceback contracts on injured players is a smart gamble. That opinion underemphasizes the likelihood of sub-replacement level production and overemphasizes the upside, and the proof is in the price. The Twins are already hoping for bouncebacks from 3-4 players. Therefore, what this team needs is to take on as little additional risk as possible, not waste precious roster spots on players with very long odds to reach their upside. Get out of the bargain bin, in other words.