RADIO
Despite a bad season, Tommy Hunter is being sought after by the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, San Diego Padres and possibly a few other teams, according to CSNMidAtlantic.com.
There’s always a shortage of pitching in MLB and these franchises are showing interest in the right-hander after his bad season. Hunter posted a 4.18 ERA in only 60 1/3 innings of relief this year between the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs. The 29-year-old showed that he has plenty of control. He had a 47/14 K/BB ratio in 2015. Since he had a bad season, it might not cost teams too much money or years to sign him and it could turn into a low-risk move that turns into a high reward.
Hunter stringed together two good seasons in a row between 2013 and 2014 with the Orioles. He had a 2.81 and 2.97 ERA, helping Baltimore reach the ALCS in 2014. Prior to the 2013 season, he was predominately a starting pitcher. He could never put together a few solid seasons in a row, which forced the move to the bullpen. He’s been successful in that role until this past year. Another reason teams might want to acquire the eight-year veteran is because he was dominant in the 2014 postseason run. In three appearances, he didn’t allow a run. He didn't make the postseason roster for Chicago this season.
The Indians will have one of the top rotations on paper heading into 2016. Their bullpen could use a little bit of help to solidify the starting rotation. If Hunter can find his game from a few seasons ago, Cleveland could be in the race for the AL Central. The Tigers are going through somewhat of a rebuilding process although they still have Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez and a few others that have helped the team reach the postseason four years in a row. Hunter could add more depth after Detroit’s acquisition of Francisco Rodriguez. The Padres were built to make the postseason in 2015 but finished 14 games below .500 and nowhere near October baseball. They’ve traded away closer Craig Kimbrel to the Boston Red Sox during the off-season. There could be a few other players leaving before April. Hunter could be a cheap acquisition to help lower the payroll even more. He has little experience as a closer, but it would be unlikely that he would land that role in San Diego.
