Hunter signs with Angels
Torii Hunter's first playoff appearance came in 2002 when the Twins reached the postseason for the first time since 1991. The season ended with a 1-4 series loss to the eventual World Champion Anaheim Angels. On Thursday, Hunter ended his tenure with the Twins to join the Angels.
He agreed to a 5-year contract worth $90 million, exactly double what the Twins single offer of 3 years, $45 million was worth. Hunter's departure came as no surprise. Over the last couple weeks the only question has been which of a handful of teams would end up signing Hunter.
The Twins will now need to turn their attention to Johan Santana who has reportedly asked for the exact contract Barry Zito got last year (7 years, $126 million), after turning down the Twins initial offer of 5 years, $93 million. In my opinion, the Twins would be foolish no to give him that kind of deal. Compared to what he could get on the open market, it's actually a pretty good discount.
One thing the Twins cannot afford to do, is drag their feet on this one. If they decide that $126 million is too much to take on, then Santana needs to be traded before the season begins. The prospects a Santana deal would bring to Minnesota could make them a competitive team when their new stadium opens in 2010. That's assuming, of course, that they shell out some cash to keep guys like Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer in Minnesota.
Topics: Torii Hunter, Anaheim Angels, Johan Santana, Barry Zito
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