Major League Mongering: The Twins Should Trade Torii Hunter

Major League Mongering will look at players rumored to be on the move between now and the July 31st pseudo-trade-deadline.

I know it's not exactly the most popular idea in Minnesota, but I really think that the Twins should try and move Torii Hunter within the next five days. There was still some hope in Minnesota at the All-Star break that the Twins would make their annual push to the top of the division, but things haven't worked out as well as they were hoped.

The Twins were swept by the Tigers last week, and they just got swept again by the Blue Jays.

They're now 9.5 games behind the Tigers and 8 games behind Cleveland in the wild card. Not exactly an impossible task, but I don't think the Twins will be able to pull it off this season. The starting pitching and offense aren't as consistent in 2007 as they have been in years past, so now the question looms.

Should the Twins be buyers or sellers?

Realistically, when you look at the options available to the Twins as far as bringing a player in, who's going to be that guy that helps push them to the top? Dmitri Young? Mike Piazza? Ty Wiggington!? Those aren't exactly the types of guys that will win you a division title.

So I think the Twins should try and move some players, most specifically Torii Hunter. Hunter says he wants to stay in Minnesota for the rest of his career, but he also says he wants the best deal for himself. That will not be in Minnesota.

The Twins already have to worry about giving Justin Morneau an extension, and then there's that daunting task of paying Johan Santana enough money to keep him in Minnesota as well. So there's no way they'll be able to afford the $14 million or so that Hunter will command on the free agent market.

So move him now. Get something for him while you can. The Yankees will be one of Hunter's suitors, so why not see what you can get from them now? They've gotten back in the race in the AL East, and adding Torii Hunter to the lineup couldn't hurt. There's also the Angels who are forever looking for another bat to add to their lineup.

Can you imagine an outfield in Los Angeles consisting of Gary Matthews, Vlad Guerrero, and Torii Hunter? No fly ball would ever touch the ground!

Be it Los Angeles or New York, the Twins will find a number of teams who wouldn't mind having Torii Hunter patrolling centerfield right now, even if only for a few months. He is the type of player that can help put a contending team over the top.

So no, it won't be the happiest day in Twins history if the Twins trade Torii Hunter, but it's definetely the better option for the Twins and their future.