Torii Hunter Signing Is Hard To Figure

Although most fans haven't figured it out yet, this team has been moving away from the "pitch to contact" philosophy for years.  The problem is that it takes a long time to change an organizational philosophy and you do so from the the bottom of the system up.  The power arms will start hitting the big leagues soon enough.  Phil Hughes is somewhat of a high ball/fly ball pitcher and the outfield defense didn't negatively affect him.  Why?  Because he is a good pitcher, throws strikes and takes care of his own business.

Are you sure it didn't negatively affect him?  Can you say, with certainty, that he couldn't have been even better with a league average defensive outfield?

I agree that shifts in organizational philosophies take time, but the truth is that this defense is hurting the pitching staff.  That is demonstrable in many, many ways.  This is a team that is awful at preventing runs and pitching is only part of that equation.  

Saying a bad defense is a lame excuse for poor pitching is like blaming a QB for a bad completion percentage when his receivers are dropping the ball.  Or a PG for not getting enough assists when his scorers are shooting 20%.  These things go hand in hand and having a poor defense will hurt your pitching staff.

One would think this team (and Torii Hunter in particular) would understand this.  The long run they had in the playoffs was built on the back of a team that consistently sacrificed offense for defense and prided itself on not "giving" outs.  The defensive outfield we look to be fielding this year looks like the damn Salvation Army of outs in the outfield.

So we want a leopard to start having stripes?  These guys are what they are, it's not like they'll magically become Randy Johnson when they stop making excuses.

Didn't Randy Johnson magically become Randy Johnson? Phil Hughes magically became Phil Hughes last year (at least, for last year.........).  Alex Meyer could magically become Alex Meyer, too, even if he does take a couple years to get there.  So could Berrios, and Stewart. Some of our pitchers really could do it, especially if management would just let them pitch in the show before they are over 25 or 26.  Even Sandy Koufax magically became Sandy Koufax, but it took him a few years. 

Wasn't Willingham signed to play right field, announced that he would play right field, and ended up back in left? A lot can happen before the season starts (including players that are dealt or dealt for or don't make the team) and even more can happen with injuries and replacements during the season.

I am getting more and more comfortable with Hunter returning, and realistically, I need to because I am a Twins' fan.

Late to the party. Lots of genuflecting over the past 24 on this.

Not going go sign Cabrerra when he wants 5 years and $12-13M per. So Rios was the absolutely best choice, for 1 year, and less money, but younger, and a solid bounce back candidate. Really, really not sure I get this or completely understand it.

HOWEVER....upon further review....a couple points to be made.

1) While overpaying, the market is not good for FA OFers this year, it's only 1 year, and the whole non trade thing is nonsense. It just means Hunter gets to approve where he goes by waiving his clause if the Twins make a move.

2) If he can only produce what he did last season, he'd still be an offensive improvement over last season's LFers. And don't kid yourself, wherever he plays positionally, he's "replacing" last season's LF bungled mess. Our offense was so damn good already? Yes and no. It improved TREMENDOUSLY, but it was inconsistent. Not surprising with so many young players getting time and Mauer struggling. A solid veteran bat could help stabilize a bit.

3) Discount chemistry and leadership all you want, it still exists to some degree, and it would be nice to have someone in that role, even for part of a season. I still believe we've lost a lot of that the past few years with guys like Kubes and Hunter and Cuddyer gone.

4) I make no excuses for Hunter defensively and his various maladies that should have him bed-ridden as he can no longer walk, much less run, upright any longer. (I kid!) I DON'T have the answer, but can he be worse that Hammer and others out there on a consistent basis? I know we need to improve our OF defense, but, honestly, for 1 year, is Hunter really such a terrible option in retrospect? He still knows how to see, track and play a ball and take angles doesn't he? Or is his near 40 status also causing mental faculty loss? He can still catch what he gets to can't he? He still has a half-way decent arm and knows what base to throw to doesn't he? These things alone might actually make him an improvement, no matter how subtle, over last year's OF defense.

5) If the Twins pull a really smart move and make a play for someone like the ever popular Peter Bourjos from St. Louis to come in and play CF on an everyday basis, does your opinion of Hunter and the Twins OF change? It does for me.

6) I like the signing better if the veteran, 1 year contract Hunter moves to LF and Arcia, a long term option that we would be stupid to get rid of. Let me say that again....that we would be stupid to get rid of. Anyway...if the long term option Arcia got to stick in RF and the veteran 1 year contract veteran were to play LF, I likethe whole idea better.

Didn't Randy Johnson magically become Randy Johnson? Phil Hughes magically became Phil Hughes last year (at least, for last year.........).  Alex Meyer could magically become Alex Meyer, too, even if he does take a couple years to get there.  So could Berrios, and Stewart. Some of our pitchers really could do it, especially if management would just let them pitch in the show before they are over 25 or 26.  Even Sandy Koufax magically became Sandy Koufax, but it took him a few years.

 

I'm sorry, when exactly was Sandy Koufax Kevin Correia and when did that magic happen?

We systematically stocked our team with guys who were meant to rely on their defense and only very recently changed that philosophy. Fielding guys fully known to rely on defense and then not giving them a defense is really, really bad strategy.

Arcia moving to LF because of signing Hunter is making an awful lot of assumptions in early December about how the roster will be finished in March.

Terry Ryan said the Hunter is the RF. Multiple reporters, including the MLB.com guy that writes all of the content on the Twins own website (Rhett Bollinger)... have reported this and of Arcia's destination.  I have a hard time thinking that just-the-facts Bollinger just made this quote up out of whole cloth:

 

Hunter will start in right field for the Twins in 2015, as Oswaldo Arcia will move over from right field to left field. Hunter moved off center field to right field during the 2010 season while with the Angels.

I think I just read a TR quote that he's going to focus on pitching now.  And so far he's been pretty forthright in these matters.

Actually, this door is not quite closed all of the way.  This afternoon he told Berardino this:

 

 

Mike Berardino @MikeBerardino  ·  3h 3 hours agoAsked Ryan if #MNTwins Opening Day CF was already in-house:                                                                                                                                                                                              "I wouldn’t be able to answer that until I see exactly what’s out there."

I think given Ryan's past comments on him taking responsibility for the teams he's given Gardy, it seems like it might be worthwhile to consider what Molitor is looking for in further position player upgrades.  Ryan might be inclined to accede to Molly's wishes and still be "looking to see what's out there" at the Winter Meetings as well as what's on the waiver wire/Rule 5.

I'm sorry, when exactly was Sandy Koufax Kevin Correia and when did that magic happen?

 

We systematically stocked our team with guys who were meant to rely on their defense and only very recently changed that philosophy. Fielding guys fully known to rely on defense and then not giving them a defense is really, really bad strategy.

I didn't mean to imply a Koufax to Correia comparison. I am sorry if that is how you took it. I did mention Meyer,  Berrios, and Stewart.  I believe Gibson is still formulating, too.  I do believe magic can happen, and pitchers can get better, especially when they are just coming on.  I didn't mention Nolasco or Pelfrey either.  I think things are changing.  I agree that Ryan has made some horrible choices with misguided hopes and strategy.  If the bats miss the ball more, a lot of good things can happen.  Perhaps even.... some magic.

Even strike out pitchers benefit from defense. I don't really get how saying the defense is bad somehow "excuses" pitchers. The defense is bad.

Probably not, but I think that really has more to do with the quality of the available OF than it does with the split among us TD posters.  Perhaps Alex Rios would have been the compromise that would have brought us together, I haven't heard too much complaining about him even though everyone would be counting on bounce back offensive and defensive production from him.

Yep, you're definitely on to something here- there weren't a lot of options.  I've written about it before, but since the Twins were insistent on going this route, a more defensible case can be made for the soon-to-be 34 year old Rios (and his estimated one-year price of $8.5M would have saved them some money, besides).