TORI IS GONE!!!!!!

[rchaze60]

well looks like Tori is going to be playing in the land of sunshine now at the tune of 90 million wtg Tori go where you are wanted and good luck winnining games and getting that ring 

[Outdoors Junkie]

Former Twins star Hunter agrees to 5-year contract with Angels
ESPN.com news services

Updated: November 22, 2007, 2:46 AM ET

 ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Outfielder Torii Hunter and the Los Angeles Angels reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday night on a five-year contract thought to be worth at least $80 million.

"They play the game the right way," Hunter said. "They play hard-nosed baseball."

The agreement is subject to a physical.

The 32-year-old becomes the much-needed hitter the Angels sought to protect Vladimir Guerrero in the batting order. Hunter hit .297 with 28 homers and 107 RBIs for the Minnesota Twins this year and is a seven-time Gold Glove winner.

He finished 15th in AL MVP balloting and was on the AL's All-Star team for the second time in his career.

"We are very excited to have Torii joining our organization," Angels general manager Tony Reagins said in a statement. "Not only is he an outstanding ballplayer but he's also an outstanding human being. He'll impact our ballclub and community in a very positive way."

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals and Washington Nationals were among those interested in Hunter. The newspaper reports that Tony Reagins, the Angels' rookie general manager, called Hunter's agent Larry Reynolds on Tuesday and a deal for Hunter came together quickly.

"You're a little surprised, huh?" Reynolds told the newspaper Wednesday night. "It all happened within the last 24 hours."

Hunter will join a talented outfield that includes Gary Matthews Jr., Garret Anderson, Guerrero, Juan Rivera and Reggie Willits.

With Guerrero in right and Anderson in left, the move leaves no space in the starting outfield for Matthews Jr. The Angels said the center fielder, who signed a $50 million, five-year deal as a free agent last offseason, could see time at designated hitter and spell the corner outfielders.

Matthews was sent human growth hormone in 2004 from a pharmacy being investigated for illegal distribution of performance-enhancing drugs, The Times Union of Albany, N.Y., reported last winter. Matthews denied using HGH, which was not banned by baseball for players with major league contracts until 2005.

With Hunter gone, the low-budget Twins' attention turns to two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana. His contract expires after the 2008 season, and other teams think Minnesota will make him available if he doesn't agree to an extension.

Hunter said he also had negotiated seriously with the Rangers, but he thought they were a year or two from contending. The White Sox and Royals also were interested.

Staying with the Twins wasn't a real option.

"Sometimes it's time to move on," Hunter said. "Sometimes your welcome is gone."


According to the Times, the Angels were also in trade talks with the Florida Marlins for Miguel Cabrera, but it wasn't known Wednesday night whether the Angels would still pursue Cabrera.

Reagins has made a splash on the job even before the agreement with Hunter. On Monday, the Angels traded Orlando Cabrera to the White Sox for pitcher Jon Garland.

For his career, Hunter is a .271 hitter with 192 homers and 711 RBIs in 1,234 games.

Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.

[rchaze60]

TWINS are going down the same road as the viqueens, wild, and puppies lol

[Outdoors Junkie]

11/22/2007 3:23 AM ET
A marriage made in heaven
Hunter agrees to five-year contract with Angels
By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com 

Torii Hunter has won seven consecutive Gold Gloves for his defense in center field. (A.J. Olmscheid/AP)
MLB Headlines

ANAHEIM -- In a move that even stunned the central figure involved, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim agreed on Wednesday night to a five-year deal with free-agent center fielder Torii Hunter pending completion of a physical exam.
The signing was announced by new Angels general manager Tony Reagins. Although terms of the deal were not disclosed, various media reports have pegged the value of the contract at between $80-$90 million.

"These guys shocked me," Hunter said of a deal that came quickly together in the past few days. "I wanted to play with these guys. For me, they were one of the teams I was looking at, but I didn't know if they were looking at me.

"We shocked the world. Now I'm an Angel. I'm going to hopefully finish my career as a Halo, and hopefully get about three [World Series] rings out of this thing."

Among those left in the wake were the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals. Hunter said there had been no contract discussions with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were also rumored to be in the hunt for his services.

The team he played with for nine full seasons, the Minnesota Twins, didn't get close, Hunter said, adding, "I tried to, but it didn't work out. That's the team I grew up with, but it's going in another direction."

Hunter, 32, claimed his seventh consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2007, batting .287 with 28 homers and a career-high 107 RBIs while playing 160 games. He made the American League All-Star team for the second time in his career and finished 15th in the AL MVP Award balloting.

"I've said in the past, we're going to pursue every opportunity to make our club better," Reagins said. "This was an opportunity I wanted, and I had the support of people around me and I got aggressive. I spoke with Torii's representative, [agent Larry Reynolds], and it came together pretty quickly. We spoke over the last couple days."

Reagins has been actively attempting to add another big bat to the lineup, with most of the attention focused on young Marlins slugger Miguel Cabrera in the wake of Monday's deal which sent shortstop Orlando Cabrera to the White Sox for starting pitcher Jon Garland.

"No, this doesn't have any bearing on any other moves," Reagins said. "We're still looking at our club to see if we can improve. I like our club today. If Opening Day started tomorrow, I'd be ready to go."

The Angels' new center fielder sounded like he was ready to take the field on Thanksgiving, especially in his new home park.

"It's been pretty good to me over the years," Hunter said of Angel Stadium. "It's the energy, playing outside, on that good grass [as opposed to Minnesota's artificial turf]. Fans show up. It's loud, electrifying. If you can't get pumped up to play in Anaheim, you need to get your mind evaluated.

"I've been stomping up and down with my family. Little Torii Jr., [one of his three children], is ready with his Angel gear.

"These guys really showed me they're trying to win. Anaheim, you know, they're going to try to win every year. I've always admired the way they play."

The Angels signed Gary Matthews Jr. to a five-year deal last offseason to play center field, and he responded with a solid year before injuries took a late-season toll.

In addition to Hunter and Matthews, the Angels also have Garret Anderson, Vladimir Guerrero, Juan Rivera and Reggie Willits in a loaded outfield.


Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Hunter would be the regular center fielder, with Matthews providing depth at all three outfield spots. Anderson and Guerrero are expected to spend more time in the designated-hitter role in 2008, giving Matthews plenty of opportunities to play left and right.

"We have a lot of different options," Scioscia said. "One thing we know is Torii is going to be in center. Gary will have no problem absorbing the corners and playing center if Torii needs a day. Vlad and Garret will see more DH days.

"The bottom line is keeping those four bats together as much as possible."

Hunter was ecstatic about the prospect of joining that star-studded outfield.

"Yes, definitely," he said, when asked if it's potentially the best unit he's been part of in his Major League career. "Garret Anderson, Gary Matthews Jr., Vladimir Guerrero. Man!

"Vladimir Guerrero is one of my favorite players. I get a chance to play next to him and hit in the same lineup with the guy. I get to see Vladimir Guerrero play every day, and Garret Anderson -- I respect his game. I'll get to watch him, learn every day. ... It's going to be a lot of fun."

Hunter has the versatility to hit anywhere in the lineup. He had 18 stolen bases in 2007 while putting together a career-best 23-game hitting streak.

"I'm that guy who can change the game," Hunter said. "I'm a little bit of everything. I wouldn't say I'm the big bat -- Vladimir is the big bat. I'm a player, not a hitter."

A four-sport high school star in Pine Bluff, Ark., Hunter is a .271 career hitter with 192 homers and 711 RBIs in 1,234 games. He is regarded as an upbeat, positive clubhouse presence, widely respected throughout the game for his dedication to the game.

In 21 postseason games with the Twins, Hunter has batted .300 with three homers and eight RBIs.

[jigglestick]

adios tori. good luck. hope you choke on caviar

what else can go wrong with MN sports?

[tattguy12]

well again let mr. pohlad not dish out any money. next johan will be gone because they will never pay him either. I don't agree with the money they make its a little out of control, But remember if your making 40,000 at your job and someone offers you $80,000 to do the exact same thing with no extra work, What would you do?


                                   

[Spinach]

I think they let him leave so they could sign Santana to a multi year contract. The Twins have always been about pitching and for the most part have protected them.

They are probably thinking and hoping that Monroe will have Torii #'s and will pick up another outfielder. I'm sure Gary matthews Jr will be available from the Angels, he would be a nice replacement for Hunter and less money.

I sure will miss Torii in centerfield, but I think we can find a decent replacement somewhere.

If you take out 2007 from Torii's career, which was a career year for him, this wouldn't seem all too bad. He will have a tough time producing the same #'s again.

[Outdoors Junkie]

11/22/2007 9:48 PM ET

Hunter is a class act


Center fielder made impression in free-agent market 
 Baseball Perspectives
 
 Fred Claire

 
Torii Hunter didn't try to squeeze the free-agent market for the best possible deal.  (Ann Heisenfelt/AP)

There is no question but that Torii Hunter, the new center fielder of the Los Angeles Angels, is a very special player.
Hunter's agent, Larry Reynolds, recently described the seven-time Gold Glove Award winner as a "one-of-a-kind" player.

You expect agents to sing the praises of their players, but Reynolds' words always have carried a high degree of credibility.

You don't expect Major League teams to turn out press releases on Thanksgiving Day to praise a player who got away and signed with another team.

That's exactly what happened Thursday, when the Minnesota Twins released a statement from their general manager, Bill Smith, declaring: "Torii Hunter has been a tremendous representative of the Twins organization for the past 15 seasons and he was a critical player in the renaissance of the Twins the past decade.

"Torii has been a leader on the field and in the community, a two-time All-Star and a seven-time Gold Glove winner. More importantly, he is a consummate professional and a great person. We congratulate the entire Hunter family and wish them continued success in the Angels organization."

It was a touch of class on the part of the Twins, but Hunter earned every word with his performance both on and off the field. He has a career average of .271 with 192 home runs and 711 RBIs in 10 seasons with the Twins. He has been a leader in every sense of the word.

On defense, Hunter is a human highlight film.

Even the Texas Rangers, who made a strong push for Hunter, came away with strong praise for the star center fielder.

"Torii would have been a nice fit for us, the type of player and leader that would have fit well here," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told MLB.com.

Texas owner Tom Hicks also wished Hunter well but expressed his disappointment in not signing the player by stating, "Like always, it's about the money."

Sure, money is a factor, but recent signings have shown it's not all about the money. Third baseman Mike Lowell passed on an extra year and more than $10 million to stay with the Boston Red Sox, and pitcher Tom Glavine passed on a $13 million option with the New York Mets to return to his home in Atlanta and sign with the Braves for $8 million.

The fact is that Hunter and his agent didn't try to squeeze the market for the best possible deal.

Reynolds had said that Hunter planned to keep an open mind related to those teams expressing an interest, and when the Angels came on with a late push, the deal was done. The offer was fair and Hunter had said he wanted to play for a team with a chance to win.

It was a deal for five years and $90 million, but with Alex Rodriguez headed back to the Yankees and Lowell having signed with Boston, there seemed to be more dollars available to Hunter.

Even Daniels had praise for the way Reynolds handled the negotiations.

"I gained a lot of respect for Larry Reynolds through this process. Straight forward, honest -- he's a class act," said Daniels.

The Angels, quite naturally, were high in their praise of Hunter, but what made the picture more complete was the words that came from the team that lost its star (the Twins) and the team in hot pursuit (the Rangers).

Even the press, often looking at the scene with a critical eye, had high praise for Hunter.

"Torii might be the best person, in terms of makeup and leadership, I've ever covered," said veteran reporter Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "He's right there with Tony Gwynn among my all-time favorites."

Thanksgiving Day usually is a nice break in the hectic life of baseball people and you can be assured no one enjoyed the holiday more than the staff of the Angels.
 

[tattguy12]

si.com is now reporting there is taks about johan trades,the twins offered 80 million,but it says there about 50 million behind what hes going to need.,they say it could be possibly traded by the end of the winter talks..thinking they might unload him soon, just in case he got hurt. Then they wouldnt get as much for him.Si reports he might be able to pull $150.00 million.


               

[Outdoors Junkie]

I heard on espn last night that the Twins offered Santanna 93 million and his agent came back with 126 million demand.  So, it is not dead in the water yet.  They also said the Twins are listening to offers, but are still wanting to sign him to a long term deal.

[Ryan]

I don't think Johan wants to be here anymore and they are going to trade him before opening day.  I guess at this point I am fine if they trade him.  The Twins should focus on 2010 and after when they will have a little more money to spend.  That's not saying they will spend money then, but they will have more to work with.

[tattguy12]

well by now we should all be used to trading off talent and not spending money..lol..imagine the team we would have if carl wouldve spent money over the last 5 years...

[kenhuntin]

Yeah but then Carl wouldn't have that money.We do have Fedoruk in a Wild uniform now. I wonder how he feels being Boogaards teammate since Boogey shattered his jaw.

[tattguy12]

i bet they have lockers next to each other..lol...I tell you what i wouldnt want to be the other team when there both on the ice lookin to have fun...