Torii Hunter, Detroit Tigers Agree To Two-Year, $26 Million Deal
All-star outfielder Torii Hunter has reached an agreement with the Detroit Tigers on a two-year, $26 million contract, a MLB source said Wednesday.
According to the source, Hunter, a 14-year MLB veteran with a .277 career average, signed the deal Wednesday and has a physical scheduled for Friday.
Hunter’s previous five-year $90 million deal with the Angels expired after the 2012 season and the team subsequently failed to present him with a qualifying offer — one year at $13 million — thus forfeiting the compensatory draft pick they would have received since he signed elsewhere.
The Los Angeles Times notes Hunter dismissed the only offer the Angels made — one year at $5 million — as “low ball” and “disrespectful.”
Besides Detroit, the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, and Chicago White Sox were among the other teams interested in Hunter.
Hunter, 37, batted .313 with an .817 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) for the Los Angeles Angels last season, contributing 16 homers and 92 RBI.
The nine-time Gold Glove winner was particularly effective in the No. 2 spot, batting .343 with an .854 OPS in 381 plate appearances.
Just minutes after Torii Hunter’s deal became public on MLB Network, he had changed the wording on his Twitter profile. No longer was he “looking for a job,” as it read on Tuesday.
“Found a job!” the updated profile said. “Headed to Motown to win that ring!”
Detroit is chasing its first World Series title since 1984. The Tigers were swept by San Francisco in this year’s series.
ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian has more on Torii Hunter’s signing with the Detroit Tigers in the video below:
