Rays, Tommy Hunter agree to minor-league deal

The Rays have agreed to a minor-league deal with reliever Tommy Hunter, pending a physical, a source told SB Nation on Thursday. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times first reported a deal was close.

Hunter, 30, joins Shawn Tolleson and Cory Rasmus as free agents to join the Rays’ bullpen mix this winter and appears to have a good chance of cracking a group that includes Erasmo Ramirez, Danny Farquhar and Brad Boxberger in front of closer Alex Colome.

Hunter spent last season with the Indians and Orioles, posting a 3.18 ERA and 6.1 K/9 in 34 innings over 33 appearances. After being a staple of the Orioles’ bullpen for four seasons from mid-2011 to mid-2015, Hunter has bounced around a bit over the last two years, being traded from the O’s to the Cubs in 2015 and signing with the Indians as a free agent last winter before being released and re-joining the Orioles for the stretch run last year.

In total, Hunter owns a career 48-35 record and 4.26 ERA in 317 career games (75 starts) with the Rangers (2008-11), Orioles (2011-15, 2016), Cubs (2015) and Indians (2016). He has been a full-time reliever since 2013.