Goodbye, Torii
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It's official.
Torii Hunter has signed a 5 year deal worth upwards of 70 million dollar with the Los Angeles Angels. I can't say I'm shocked. This has been expected for a long time. I knew that when the Twins offered a three year deal in the middle of the season to him, that it was a take it or leave it situation. The Twins have a long history of not being willing to put up the big money to make a deal when they have to.
I can't blame Hunter for this as well. He went to a superior team for a longer contract and a larger salary. It'd be stupid of him not to go to LA. He'll enjoy a winning atmosphere, while playing on an outdoor grass field.
It hurts though, a lot. Hunter has been the organization's face for over a decade. He's been the one guy that you knew would be out on the field every night, and would try and give the team a chance to win. It won't feel right to watch him play for someone else. It'd be like watching Favre take snaps under center for the Bears. There's just no way that it can ever seem right.
I'll miss you Hunter. You've meant a lot to Minnesota, and a lot to Twins fans.
But this shows a different side of the story. The Pohlad Family needs to stop misleading Twins fans. We agreed to pay for a brand new stadium that would help make our team more competitive. What do they do the following year? They let Hunter walk. And on top of that, they're expected to trade Santana before Spring Training. HOW THE HECK IS THIS MAKING A TEAM MORE COMPETITIVE? We let our top outfielder walk, and we're going to trade our biggest star. It makes no sense.
I've trusted the Pohlad family and the Twins organization to do what's right for too long to let this slide by. They've got to step up and spend more money so the team can be competitive. They cannot, however, trade Santana for Pitching prospects. EARTH TO KARL POHLAD: YOU CAN'T WIN A WORLD SERIES SOLELY ON PITCHING. YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO SCORE TO WIN.
I think I'm just going to cry. This hurts way to much for it to be ignored. Instead of strengthening our team, we're weakening it. We now have a need for help at third base, and every outfield position. If they want people to buy tickets to Twins games, they have to field a team that will go somewhere. Being stuck in neutral when the team cannot get into the playoffs is not a smart strategy.
