Longtime big league reliever Tommy Hunter has officially retired, he tells Britt Ghiroli of the Athletic (X link). Hunter first indicated he was retiring on former teammate Adam Jones’ podcast in October, news that eluded MLBTR at the time.
Hunter, 37, pitched parts of 16 seasons in the majors. The Rangers selected the University of Alabama product in the supplemental first round of the 2007 draft. He got to the big leagues the following August. Operating as a starter for three seasons, Hunter compiled a 4.36 ERA before being dealt alongside future home run champ Chris Davis to the Orioles for Koji Uehara.
While Davis turned out to be the star of that return, Hunter was a very productive player for Baltimore in his own right. He struggled as a starter over the next season and a half but found a new gear upon moving to the bullpen in 2013. The right-hander turned in consecutive sub-3.00 ERA showings while surpassing 60 innings in 2013 and ’14, combining for a 2.88 ERA over that stretch.
Hunter found himself in another deadline trade in 2015. As an impending free agent on an average Baltimore team, he was flipped to the Cubs in a swap for outfielder Junior Lake. Hunter bounced around as a middle reliever from that point forward, suiting up with the Indians, Orioles again, Rays and Phillies through 2020. He saw action with the Mets in each of the past three seasons. Hunter was generally effective for the majority of that time, although he finished with a 6.85 ERA in 23 2/3 innings before New York released him this past June.
In the decade after his move to the bullpen, he allowed 3.33 earned runs per nine in 410 appearances with six franchises. Hunter never posted huge strikeout tallies, but he had consistently strong command and turned in five seasons with 50+ innings and an ERA below 4.00. He was part of the 2010 Texas team that won the American League pennant and started Game 4 of that year’s Fall Classic, allowing two runs over four innings in a 4-0 loss.
For his career, Hunter posted a 4.07 ERA across 917 1/3 frames. He recorded 639 punchouts, won 56 games, picked up 103 holds and collected 22 saves. Baseball Reference calculated his career earnings in the $36MM range. MLBTR congratulates Hunter on his productive, very lengthy run at the highest level and wishes him the best in his post-playing days.
Could have been the Rangers’ savior reliever
Nice name. Too bad DeGrom is made of glass and won’t be worth 1/10th of that contract
Crazy thought he was a lot older. Enjoy retirement Tommy
Their “savior”? Had he become a priest, the headline could have read “Hunter becomes pray”.
Or Hunter seeks new Prey
Buck doesn’t have a job so he can’t have a job. Fair winds and following seas, Tommy.
Came here to say the exact same thing. Well done.
Big league hitter with the Mets!
Solid second career as a reliever and managed 16 seasons in the show. Good for Tommy. Enjoy retirement
About time
good pitcher. Congrats!
Good to know.
MLB the Show 14 Franchise mode cheat code
Underrated comment
I think hitters retired him a few years ago.
he actually wasnt bad in 2022 … 2023 he got blown up though.
He had back problems in his three (partial) seasons with the Mets. He barely pitched in ’21 and went to Tampa Bay in the Rich Hill trade while on the IL to balance the salaries. He pitched well in ’22 when he wasn’t on the IL. And didn’t look right this year. The cynics said these were phantom IL placements but he was clearly struggling with his back even when he was getting results in ’22.
Thank you for the magical 2010. I will always remember that team.
I always liked him and still remember him on the Rangers. Crazy that was 15 years ago.
I always enjoy short posts like this that provide a snapshot summary of previous transactions. A fun trip down memory lane. Happy retirement, Tommy!
He could probably keep pitching if he wanted to.
In single A
He’ll be remembered by me as the guy who gave up the only home run that Munenori Kawasaki ever hit.
I assumed you were joking, but whoa, Munenori Kawasaki only hit one homer. I feel as if there aren’t any random Asian bench guys in the game anymore. Kawasaki, So Taguchi.
Tsuyoshi Shinjo was always my favorite.
In other news, the MLBTR writers are sort of bored.
Now the royals can’t sign him
Tommy “Big Game” Hunter!! You’re doing something right if you got a nickname from Chris Bermen!
I always got Tommy Hunter confused with Tommy Hanson. I think Tommy Hunter has had the better outcome considering that Tommy Hanson is dead.
Lmao
Astute observation…
Who?
A guy who played several years in the majors, more than any of us.
Congratulations Mr. Hunter on retiring with 13.060 years of service time and earning a full pension! Enjoy your retirement
They just need 10 years to receive a full pension.
Yes.
I thought you qualified for a pension after 44 days?
There’s different levels of pensions. If you play for 10 years you become fully vested, you get full benefits–healthcare for life, min. of $68k a year, etc.
Thanks. I thought you got health care after a single day, and a pension after 44 days. Wow. Now I’m a lot more disappointed on behalf of the cup o’ coffee fellas.
I was Tommy Hunter fan from the beginning. He was a bulldog. It was incredible to see his velocity jump once he moved into the bullpen. He was consistently 88 MPH on his 4 Seam as a starter but could touch a 100 MPH out of the bullpen.
Who is Rod Beck? Makes me think of Bob Wickman or Matt Stairs lol
Are you seriously asking who Rod Beck is, yet you somehow know who Matt Stairs is?
Rod Beck was better than those two guys combined.
Been a Yankee fan since about 1998. No idea who Rod Beck is lol
Not much of a Yankee fan then because Rod Beck pitched for the Red Sox 1999-2001
Never heard of him lol
Arguably the best reliever in the NL in the 90s that wasn’t named Hoffman.
But he wasn’t a Yankee, so I’m not surprised that doesn’t register on the radar.
He had more Saves than Hoffman in the 1990’s. Beck was 3rd for the decade in the National League behind Randy Myers and John Franco. To be fair to Hoffman though, his career started in 1993.
I thought you are Rod Beck?
That’d be incredible since he died in 2007.
Seriously, do they not have Wikipedia where you live?
“Why now, Tommy? Why not five years ago?”
Because he wouldn’t have received a film pension.