Hunter returns to Twins hoping to show he has plenty left

The jokes started right away about the old man entering the Twins clubhouse.

"Happy for my boy @toriihunter48 Going home to the team that drafted him 37½ years ago. #MLB," friend and former teammate Vernon Wells tweeted on Tuesday after Hunter's one-year deal with the Twins was announced.

Wells even texted Torii Hunter with the same comment, forcing the 39-year old outfielder to fire back.

"He's one of those guys who goes, 'Hey, old man,' to me," said Hunter, who was actually drafted by the Twins in 1993. "He hates it that I beat him running."

Hunter addressed the media on Wednesday after signing a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Twins, and he talked about how he's going to outrace Father Time for at least one more year.

At age 39, people slow down. Things aren't as firm as they once were. But Hunter looked the part of a man in his prime offensively last season as he batted .286 with Detroit with 17 homers and 83 RBI and feels there's more coming.

Twins manager Paul Molitor, who played briefly with Hunter in 1998, talked about batting Hunter second in the order or just below the middle of the order. Molitor praised Hunter for adjusting his swing later in his career and providing flexibility to set up runs or drive them in.

Molitor also knows what it's like to be the old man on the team, having played until he was 41, and what it's like to ignore aches and pains and craft ways to maintain bat speed.

"You can't say it's the same for every player," Molitor said. "You either come or go at different rates. Torii has been a guy, at least to this point, who has defied what is the most common: the deterioration of skills as we get older.

"When you get older, it is a lot more time overcoming the fact you think you're not supposed to be as good, and it starts to translate in how you play. I don't think he deals with that very much. I think he's very confident about what he can still bring to the field."

Physically, Hunter looks much like he did when he left the Twins after the 2007 season to sign with the Angels. He doesn't lift heavy weights anymore because of how hard it is to recover as well as the risk for injuries. He detoxifies after every season. He sticks to a diet.

"I keep my six-pack [abs] for my wife," he quipped.

What Hunter will be out to prove is that he's not a defensive liability. It will be the classic eye test vs. modern statistical analysis.

Defensive metrics suggest that Hunter's defense has plummeted.

Just look on fangraphs.com. Hunter ranked last among qualified right fielders in defensive runs saved, ultimate zone rating and overall defense. Not below average. Last.

He'll play right field at Target Field, which has a little less room to cover than left field.

"I think whoever believes in that sabermetrics stuff never played the game," Hunter said. "There's no way you can measure playing the outfield. Only your eyes can do that."

There have been some claims that defensive metrics are not the end-all, but they have been embraced by the masses, and the masses are wondering about Hunter's defensive skills.

The Twins are not. Using a combination of stats and scouting reports, they feel Hunter is at least an adequate defensive player.

"He's 39," Molitor said. "He's the first to tell you he's probably not the same player he was when he was in his prime. But how are we are going to measure that? There's different ways to do that now.

"I saw him play 19 times last season, and I saw no issues with his play, defensively. He's still aggressive. He still makes smart decisions with the ball. He still throws above average. There are a lot of positive things he can still bring out there, not to mention the other guys we have in the outfield."

Hunter will provide a multitude of story lines for the 2015 season. How will he mentor the younger players? Will his body hold up? And, just how will the nine-time Gold Glove winner perform in the outfield?

"Yes, I have dropped off," Hunter said. "I'm older, but not much. When you set the bar so high and you play the outfield like I did when I was younger, and did a lot of different things like hit for power, it drops off a little bit and they say, 'Hey, this guy is done.' No, I'm not. I might be a little bit above normal."

After a pause, he added: "Damn, that's cocky."