Twins CF Torii Hunter files for free agency as expected

Minnesota Twins center fielder Torii Hunter filed for free agency on Monday, immediately becoming one of the most prized players on the market.The Twins have a 15-day window in which they can negotiate exclusively with Hunter, but all signs point to him hitting the open market Nov. 13.

The six-time gold glover had a career year at the plate, hitting .287 with 28 homers and 107 RBIs.

The Twins are in a tough spot with Hunter, the heart and soul of the clubhouse and one of the few players on the current roster with legitimate home run power.

If Hunter leaves in free agency, the Twins would receive no compensation for losing one of their biggest stars and a locker room pillar who takes some of the attention away from young players like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.

Keeping him, however, will no doubt cost a pretty penny. And with Johan Santana set to become a free agent after next season and Morneau sure to get another big raise in arbitration, the small-market Twins have to decide who they can keep and who they have to let go.

Starting pitcher Carlos Silva also filed for free agency on Monday.

Hunter has said all along that he would prefer to remain with the Twins, the team that drafted him as an 18-year-old out of Pine Bluff, Ark., in the first round of the 1993 draft. But he also wants a five-year contract, and Minnesota so far has been unwilling to offer that many years to the 32-year-old veteran.

Hunter balked at a three-year deal offered during the season and has said that he is looking for a contract more in line with his “market value.”

One deal Hunter has pointed to on more than one occasion was the contract Gary Matthews Jr. signed with the Angels before last season. Matthews, a 33-year-old who does not have the defensive prowess of Hunter, got five years and $50 million to play in Anaheim.

Coming off such an impressive year at the plate, Hunter will likely be offered much more than that by any number of teams in search of a center fielder, a list that could include the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers.

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