Twins, Torii Hunter have 'common interest' in reunion

The Minnesota Twins and 39-year-old outfielder Torii Hunter could be headed for a reunion of sorts, as Hunter tells Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he "favors the Twins" and could make a decision some time this week. The Twins also appear to be interested in bringing Hunter back.

Hunter was originally drafted by the Twins in the first round of the 1993 draft, and reached the majors in 1997. He would spend the next 11 years in a Twins uniform, earning two All-Star nods and seven Gold Glove awards along the way. He left Minnesota following the 2007 season to sign a five-year pact with the Angels, where he continued to post excellent numbers.

Hunter has spent the past two seasons with the Detroit Tigers, where he continued to hit well, but emerged as a liability on the field. He hit a combined .295/.327/.456 with a 113 OPS+ and 2.1 WAR in his two seasons in Detroit. Though nearing 40, Hunter has proven to be wildly consistent, playing at least 140 games in eight of the past nine seasons and last posting an OPS+ below 110 in 2005.

Hunter favoring Minnesota is somewhat of a curious move for him, as a 39-year-old veteran likely nearing his final MLB contract who has never won a World Series normally doesn't want to join a club that has lost at least 90 games in each of the last four years. One would figure Hunter would want to pursue a ring, but I suppose comfort could be the draw to Minnesota.