If Torii Hunter was the general manager of the Twins, he would have probably traded himself already. "If the Twins don't want me, it's probably smart for them to do that," the Twins center fielder said in a noticeably tense Minnesota clubhouse Friday before a 10-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians. "I'm not like, 'Why are you trying to get rid of me?' I understand." He understands that the stated goal of Ryan, the Twins' general manager, of adding another hitter to the lineup figures to change if the Twins don't make up any ground in the American League playoff race this weekend. That Ryan is liable to decide it's too late to pursue short-term solutions, that it's time to begin shaping the 2008 Twins. And if that's the case, Hunter figures, Ryan will seek to trade his soon-to-be free agents - Luis Castillo, Juan Rincon, himself - for prospects. Which means Hunter could be an ex-Twin by Tuesday's trade deadline. "It's weird to talk about it, that this might be my last couple of days - like my last meal," Hunter said. "I hate that it's like that, but at the same time, I understand." Ryan would not comment on his plans, saying, "Players know every year that trades are a possibility. This is just part of the baseball calendar."