Torii Hunter is Probably Not Coming to the Royals

The Kansas City Royals lineup is essentially set. We know who seven of the nine starters are going to be next season, with the only questions being in right field and designated hitter. Right field appeared to be an area that the Royals were definitely going to attempt to address in free agency, as they were listed as one of the top suitors for Torii Hunter.

However, it appears as though the Royals may need to find a fallback option. Hunter was also being pursued by his original team, the Minnesota Twins, and reportedly would prefer to head back to where everything began for him. Although they say you can never head home, it certainly makes sense for players to want to head back to where their careers began when they approach the end of the line. The thought of being able to bring everything full circle is comforting.

Should this truly be the case, it may be the best case scenario for the Royals. Yes, Torii Hunter has had a very good career, but he is not the same player he was even two years ago. While Hunter had a solid 2014 season, hitting at a .286/.319/.446 rate with 17 home runs, he is still going to be 39 years old at the start of the 2015 season. Will he be able to produce those numbers, especially with him heading to a larger ballpark?

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During his heyday, one of Hunter’s hallmarks was his excellent defense. We all remember the image of him robbing Barry Bonds of a home run during the All-Star Game, then Bonds picking up Hunter as the inning changed. However, that is no longer the case. Last season, Hunter was considered to have cost the Tigers 18 runs in right field. Virtually every metric, from fielding percentage to range factor, was below average for Hunter.

At this point, Torii Hunter may be no more than a designated hitter, playing in right occasionally to give the primary right fielder a day off. Yet, that is not how teams are viewing him at this juncture of his career. Perhaps swayed by the name and his defensive reputation, Hunter still appears to be considered to be a viable outfielder. That just is not the case.

If Hunter would prefer to head back to Minnesota, then that may be the best case scenario for the Royals. Now, they may be saved from themselves. Even if Dayton Moore and the Royals front office still considers Hunter to still be the same player and the right fit in the lineup, the cost is likely to far outweigh the benefits of having Hunter in the lineup.

Torii Hunter would prefer to play in Minnesota. The Royals should let him.

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