Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo, Peter Bourjos and Vernon Wells are all expected to remain with the Angels next year, so there’s not an obvious place for Torii Hunter on the 2013 team. But Hunter wants to return to Anaheim, where he has spent the last five seasons of his career. The 37-year-old repeated to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com that he wants to retire with the Angels.
"I want to stay," he said. "Everybody knows that.”
Hunter acknowledged that he has already “made good money” — nearly $117MM, according to Baseball-Reference — and said he just wants to win. He has told the front office as much, and it sounds as though there’s mutual interest in working out a new deal.
"His desire to be here is certainly shared,” general manager Jerry Dipoto told Gonzalez. “We'd love to have him. Now if that's the smartest thing for the Angels to do, we'll do it.”
Hunter has 15 home runs, 22 doubles and a .305/.358/.446 batting line in 537 plate appearances for the Angels this year. The nine-time Gold Glove winner has spent the entire season in right field.
Just release Vernon Wells already.
Torii is a handsome man. Handsome men look even better in Pinstipes.
I wasn’t aware Anaheim was going with pinstripes next year 😉
It is a shame that there just isn’t any other bad contract they can move Wells for. Soriano’s 36m left will be easier to move.
@ johnsilver
Jones and Ichiro are not coming back, Ibanez is a maybe at best. If the Angels are negligent in re-signing him quickly, can see the Yankees signing him to a modest contract. Lord knows he satisfies the age requirements for a NY Outfielder.
Hunter is going to want to start and even with Jones and Ichiro gone? That would make him a rotational 4th OF with Gardner if NY signs back Swisher.
Guarantee him playing time? Yeah my friend, I can see him there, but expect his numbers to decline offensively. Yankee stadium isn’t really laid out to his ability, but he would be a spark plug type in the club house and could help in that regard some perhaps.
Forgot to say that I don’t believe Swisher is coming back either. He’s not viewed as a long term solution. While his numbers look good overall, he’s been streaky, he’ll go 17 for 30 and then 3 for 29. Add to that, he’ll be looking for a nice increase and 3+ yrs on the upcoming contract. Yanks picked up his $10 MM option because that’s reasonable and he’s versatile, but it sounds as if he’s looking for $15MM per and at 3yrs, that doesn’t sound right for NY.
Hunter mentioned earlier, that he would accept a pay cut, not certain if it applies to everyone or just the Angels, but a 2yr FA qualifying offer and the RF job might be acceptable to him. Of course, that’s if LA does not make an offer.
Don’t understand why you’d expect his numbers to go down in YS. I think it would actually benefit him offensively, he hits to all fields and the short porch would help his power numbers( just ask Damon), and there’s less area to cover defensively. As for his clubhouse presence, that doesn’t factor in at all. The Yankees clubhouse is inhabited by pros that are comfortable with each other, aside from A-Rod, there are no Prima-Donnas, and he’s kept in check by the other stars.
Hunter would come in as one of the guys, nothing more or less.
You don’t think that resigning Ichiro would cost a lot less? hunter even at a couple million less is 12-14m and Ichiro may (thinking out loud) take 50% or more of a pay cut. he has produced, tho granted it has been his normal slash style of offense, where he just gets on base and plays good defense.
If Cashman is serious about cutting payroll, Ichiro might make more sense.
On hunter.. I meant he is a cheerleader, nothing bad intended. the veterans think would put a stop to the other negative aspects he can get into on rare occasions. he is a tremendous cheerleading type player also.
@johnsilver:disqus
I know I may sound like an idiot saying this, but Ichiro is done as an everyday player. He’s had three good days in a row, but that has been the extent of his real contributions to the team since arriving.Even if he took a 50% pay cut, that would be roughly $8.5 MM for an aging singles hitter. Gardner is a younger version of Ichiro at a lot less in terms of money. Keep in mind that Cashman will be concerned in 2014 as far as the payroll situation, not so much 2013. Hunter is still better than Jones, Ichiro and Swisher at this stage and I would sign him as a two year stop gap until some of the touted OFers are ready.
Keeping Vernon, despite the contract that is owed, and losing Torii would be an absolute travesty, not to mention a loss that the Angels clubhouse couldn’t replace in terms of heart, leadership, and true professionalism. Please re-sign him. He’s the cornerstone of the clubhouse and every day fan connection to the team.
Bourjos should just be traded already. They should send him to someone looking for an alternative to Bourn and Upton this offseason. He isn’t doing much at the plate, and with Wells contract being hard to move its probably about time to just see what they can get. Hunter is pretty much serving himself up on a plate from the way this sounds and the Angels should def sign him.
I really doubt they’ll let Wells’ presence on the roster influence their decision about whether to keep Hunter. Wells looks like a 4th or 5th OF at this point. Morales may not be back so Trumbo will probably split time between DH and LF with Trout and Bourjos getting the rest of the LF, all the CF, and a few of the RF starts. That leaves room for a full time RF, a part time DH and 5th OF. Can’t see Hunter not taking that full time RF role which leaves Wells the 5th OF role and maybe some time at DH. There’s plenty of room for Hunter as long as one of Morales or Wells aren’t back next year.
If possible, i would try to package either Bourjos or Trumbo with Wells to try and soften the amount of $$ they have to pick up. not sure if it’s possible, but i would look into it
If the Angels really want to keep Torii Hunter that badly, what about a trade of Vernon Wells and Kendrys Morales to the Red Sox and getting John Lackey back. I do not know if John Lackey completely burned all bridges in a potential return to LA but if not, this deal makes a lot sense for both sides. Not only do the open up room for Hunter, but the Angels also save a good bit of money they can reinvest in Hunter or maybe even into bringing back Greinke, and takes a 2-year gamble on Lackey instead of Wells. This enables Trumbo to shift full-time DH with some spot starts in RF and Hunter DH-ing when Trumbo plays the field. Worst comes to worse, if Lackey still can’t perform, they move him to the pen or release him as they would have done with Wells, but are on the hook for less money in doing so.
Red Sox have more risk in Vernon Wells as he’s more expensive, but also more potential reward in Kendrys Morales, in a contract year trying to prove he can play full-time 1b over the course of a full season. It’s also only a 2-year gamble with Wells and he does have proven success in the AL East. Lackey doesn’t even have that. Trading Lackey also represents the final Epstein mistake being purged as well and they can truly start fresh.
@Hoosierdaddy92:disqus
As I understand it, Lackey actually torched that bridge, bad mouthing the manager and the Angels organization. From the Red Sox point of view, can’t see them taking on Wells’ contract after clearing all that money recently. The swap would still leave Boston with about $7MM in the red, without taking into account that Morales will get a raise in Arbitration the coming year. He will be a FA next year and will again command an increase or he’ll most likely walk. That would be a swap that could possibly leave Boston with Wells and an additional $7MM added to their payroll and nothing more.
Yeah. He lit up Scosia pretty bad when he left and really.. there is -0- upside in someone who has an OBP below .300, plays below average defense and gets paid 22m over the next 2 seasons.
Lackey ‘says” he has pitched with pain since the season he left Anaheim, so we will see how well he does next year at the age of 34, there is some upside there, at least a back end SP.
Give Torii a qualifying offer ($13-14 million) so the Angels get a draft pick if he leaves and if he signs release Wells… done.
@JWait:disqus
So basically, you’re willing to pay $42 Million for a draft pick.
No, I would rather have Hunter than Wells. Its kind of obvious that the Angels won’t keep both. If Torii is going to turn down 1 year @ $13M then get a pick for him. If he signs for that Wells becomes overpaid and redundant and it makes sense to get rid of him.
@John
I agree that Hunter is preferable over Wells, but you’re missing the central point, here. Wells is not a horrible player, he’s a grossly overpaid player. He’s paid $21MM per and has two years remaining on his contract. If the Angels cut him as you suggest, they’re on the hook for the contract.
If another team picks him up, all they pay is the league minimum, which just under half Million per. Vernon Wells at a Million for two years becomes a steal! As fans, it’s always easy to say-
‘ get rid of that guy’ when we don’t care for a player, because it’s not our money that’s being spent. And that’s the reason Wells is still with the Angels.