Five things about the return of Torii Hunter to the Twins:
1) He will help offensively. Hunter is 39 and will turn 40 in the middle of next season. But he hasn't been on a sharp offensive decline. He hit 17 homers with a .286 batting average and a .765 OPS last season. Those are respectable numbers, even for a corner outfielder.
2) But let's be honest: one of the main reasons he's being brought in is the intangible of "leadership." The Twins tried this last year with the likes of Jason Kubel and Jason Bartlett — bringing back guys who had experienced success as part of a young Twins core. The problem was neither guy was likely to produce, and neither guy did. It's hard to command a clubhouse when you can't get a hit. So in that regard, Hunter — who was always a bigger clubhouse presence than either of those guys, anyway — should boost the team. Again, how much "leadership" means is very hard to quantify. But enough ballplayers say it means something to believe in it.
3) On the minus side, Hunter is nowhere near the defensive player he used to be. He won nine Gold Gloves — every year from 2001 to 2009 — but now he's a corner outfielder and not a particularly good one. In fact, per Fangraphs, of all American League outfielders with at least 1,000 innings last year, he ranked last in ultimate zone rating and defensive runs saved. The Twins struggled mightily with outfield defense a year ago. In theory, Hunter vs. Josh Willingham is a major upgrade. In practice, it might not be.
4) It will also be interesting to see how Hunter's politics — particularly remarks attributed to him about having a gay teammate — play out now that he's back in Minnesota. Remember, he last played here in 2007. A lot has changed since then.
5) Overall, though, the move makes a certain amount of sense for both sides. It's a one-year deal, so the Twins aren't locked into anything long-term. Hunter can still hit, and he'll get a chance to help an organization that obviously still means a lot to him.
