Regarding the Torii Hunter will-he-stay-or-leave guessing contest, a major league baseball source I have known for years thinks that if it’s a “close” decision the 32- year-old center fielder will re-sign with the Twins. Close means that contract length and compensation offered by the Twins team needs to be competitive with other offers for Hunter who has spent his eight year major league career here.
The source said Hunter “turned down” an earlier Twins offer for three years and $45 million. The number of years on the contract is important to Hunter, presumably because this will be either his last contract, or the last agreement offering the most guaranteed compensation. It’s believed that Hunter would like a five or six year deal.
The source, who is knowledgeable about the Twins operation and commitment to budget restraint, said it’s difficult to guess how much money and years it will take to retain Hunter until competing clubs make offers. He also said that despite Hunter’s age, the Twins’ center fielder is a good gamble for long term durability and production. Hunter takes care of his body, plays with passion and is a recognized team leader. He’s expressed a desire in the past to remain with the Twins but because a new agreement hasn’t been reached to keep him in Minnesota, he’s now considering other offers.
The baseball insider said Hunter’s seniority is a good fit on a team that has mostly talent under 30 years old. He said re-signing Hunter means the Twins are set in the outfield with 25-year-old left fielder Jason Kubel and 28-year-old right fielder Michael Cuddyer. Other core players are 24-year-old catcher Joe Mauer, 26-year-old first baseman Justin Morneau, and 28 and 24-year-old pitchers Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano. Signing Hunter and bringing him back means the team only needs to address needs for a third baseman and a designated hitter.
The source said the Twins’ younger core players can help make the team competitive for 10 years. He recalled that the 1987 and 1991 World Series champion Twins teams each had just two dominate starting pitchers, finding complementary talent to win and suggesting that perhaps the 2008 Twins could follow a similar pattern with a strong second starter emerging to join Santana in a big two.
With so much balance and competitiveness in the American League, the Twins aren’t that far off from competing for a pennant. The source suggested, too, that the Twins want to have a competitive team as they near the opening of the new downtown ballpark in 2010. A new contract with Hunter would all but guarantee he will be part of that first season.