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 More Twins NewsTorii Kedar Hunter Age: 32 Position CF 2007 Salary: $12 million Awards: 6 Gold Gloves, 2 All-Star appearances Potential Destinations: Rangers, White Sox, Twins, Phillies, Braves, Nationals Unlike players such as Preston Wilson, Carl Everett and fellow free agent Andruw Jones, Hunter has become a better player over the years. Power Hunter has been a consistent mid to high 20?s homerun hitter since he was 25. When he first came up as a skinny rookie in 1999, he hit nine homeruns in 384 at bats and had a slugging percentage of .408. As he filled out, his slugging improved topping out at .524 in 2002 and was .505 in 2007. Depending on the stadium and his position in the lineup, Hunter could see his power numbers explode the way Andre Dawson did in 1987 when he joined the Chicago Cubs and won the MVP. Dawson was 32 when he moved from Olympic Stadium to Wrigley Field and hit 49 homeruns that year, compared to 20 the year before. Average Hunter has never hit over .300 and his .287 this season is the second highest of his career. The main problem is his lack of patience at the plate. He only had 30 non-intentional walks last year and has never walked more than 50 times in a season. The vast majority of his plate appearances have come in the 5th or 6th hole in a Twins? lineup that resembles an NL lineup in the bottom of the order, which hasn?t allowed Hunter to see the best selection of pitches. Speed Hunter might be a bit slower than he was when he first came up, but he can still steal 15-25 bases each season. As his legs mature, getting off the turf and onto grass will also do a lot to preserve his speed into this mid-30?s. Defense Unlike Jones, Hunter remains a highly skilled and, more importantly, a motivated defensive player. This past season, Hunter had the best fielding percentage of is career while still covering virtually as much ground as he ever has. His arm remains one of the finest from a centerfielder in all of baseball. Hunter?s Market While the Twins could of course still re-sign Hunter, he is likely to be playing in a different uniform for the first time in his career. Hunter reportedly rejected a late August extension offer worth $45 million over three years. Hunter made $12 million this season and is looking for a contract worth at least $70 million over five years (what J.D. Drew received from Boston last winter). Out of the three big free agent center fielders, Hunter will likely be the domino that sets the other two in motion. If Alex Rodriguez does not opt out of his contract, Hunter will be the player to sign the wealthiest deal unless the team that comes in second on him goes crazy for Jones. Given the expectation that he ages gracefully, a GM should feel comfortable signing him to a six-year, $90 million contract. With a lack of other dependable combinations of bat and glove out in this year's market, he likely will see money closer to Carlos Lee's six-year, $100 million contract he signed with Houston. |
