Hunter: Nobody Wants to Play in Minnesota

My colleague PostmanE already touched upon Torii Hunter's parting shots at the Twins, but I wanted to focus on another choice quote. In addition to claiming that Minnesota just can't compete, he claims that players simply don't want to go there. From the Star-Tribune:

"People aren't even thinking about this," he said. "I wouldn't play in Minnesota unless my career was at an end and I had to go to Minnesota to play the game. ... People think that's not true -- that's 100 percent accurate. This is coming from a player, so I'm telling you."

It sounds pretty clear to me that he's talking about all players and not just himself. And you know what? He's right. Who was the last big name free agent the Twins managed to sign? Heck, who was semi-significant free agent? I'm sure there has to be a handful of guys, but in talking with fellow FanHouse cohort Larry Brown, the best we can come up with is Kenny Rogers in 2003, but I'm not sure the fact they gave a 38-year-old pitcher a one-year deal really destroys my theory.

Instead, they get talent through the minors or trades, and come free agency, they're stuck with everyone else's leftovers like Rondell White and Jeff Cirillo. I will admit, they do re-sign a few guys now and then, but they either can't convince free agents to sign or don't try. Considering Carl Pohlad is the wealthiest owner in all of the majors, either option is kind of sad. On a side note: don't go to Japan, yet, Mike Piazza! Give the Twins a call!

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

11-27-2007 @ 10:57AM

Chris said...

Players and coaches deserve (I believe) big money,
but they are still in great shape with under a
million bucks. Moreover, smaller incomes cannot match
September 11, sickness, paralysis, shark bites, car
wrecks, broken bones, and so on. Coaches and players
do not need filthy rich contracts. Thanks

11-27-2007 @ 11:42AM

Bill James said...

I hope the above was written by an 8 year old.

When was the last time you saw a big time free agent sign for a reasonable contract. Torii Hunter is a perfect example of that, great player but he just got vastly overpaid (in baseball terms, not envious idiot terms). The Padres were one bad call by a home plate umpire away from making the playoffs for a third straight year and their biggest signing's been a 41 yo Maddux, which despite the name is just a #3 SP. The A's never have any big signings either, but they're regularly in the playoffs.

It's as simple as this, there's no salary cap in baseball so the big market teams bid up the price of big name free agents until they're the only ones that can afford to be saddled with that size of a contract and still put a competitive team out there.

11-27-2007 @ 2:26PM

By above, I meant comment, not blog post

11-27-2007 @ 9:13PM

ed said...

Horrible deal for LA. Good read on it here:

http://mlbfleecefactor.com/2007/11/25/revisiting-the-torii-hunter-fleece/

11-27-2007 @ 7:22PM

sooze.blog said...

Torii's comments kind of make me want to stab someone, as a Twins fan who sport(ed) a Hunter jersey. On the other hand, as a reasonable person who understands no one wants to play for peanuts, I get it. Still, I am not a happy camper. My team is falling apart.

11-28-2007 @ 9:37AM

Erik said...

I think the worst thing of all these trades are that teams in the AL just give their players away to the Redsox and Yankees they can't beat them with the players they got then they just still them away from other teams. Why would the Twins want to trade to Santana to a team they couldn't ever beat in the playoffs. Whats that telling their fans, if ur gonna trade a great player trade him to the NL. If Santana becomes a Yankee I will lose all respect for him like I do all those Yankees they sign 4 players this offseason and haven spent more money than the Pirates, Royals, Marlins and D-Rays..Something should be done about the competitive balance. Hello Bud Selig: Steriods aren't the only thing wrong with baseball.

11-28-2007 @ 4:03PM

Buzz said...

I agree about competitive balance. As a White Sox fan I know what its like to watch players take off for better money. The Twins are to blame for not trading Hunter a year or two ago when they could have gotten plenty in return. Twins fans can see now that Hunter didn't even want to be there, and that in itself should make them feel better he is gone. He's not a good guy. He's like a quieter version of Gary Sheffield in my opinion. The Twins will make a free agency splash when the new ballpark opens, that seems to be the formula according to recent teams getting new stadiums.

11-28-2007 @ 4:15PM

INGY Q BINGLEBOP said...

THIS IS SICKENING THE TWINS GOT A NEW STADIUM AND THEY ARE LOSING PLAYERS SANTANA IS GOING TO BE TRADED SAME WITH JOE NATHAN AND THEN JOE MAUER AND JUSTIN MORNEAU ARE GOING TO WANT TO BE TRADE SO WE BETTER GET AT LEAST 25 PROSPECTS OUT OF THIS CUZ WE ARE NOT GOING TO CONTEND FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS CARL POHLAD SHOULD BE ASHAMED AS A HUMAN BEING AND HE SHOULD BE SUED BY EVERY SITIZEN OF MINNESOTA WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR THIS STADIUM WITH TAX MONEY FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS CARL POHLAD MAY YOU HAVE TO FACE YOUR SINS IN THE AFTERLIFE