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Tommy Hunter Works Out For Teams

By Steve Adams | April 26, 2022 at 12:19pm CDT

Veteran reliever Tommy Hunter didn’t pitch after May 18 last season, spending the remainder of the 2021 campaign on the injured list — first with the Mets and then with the Rays, who acquired him as a financial counterweight in the trade that sent Rich Hill from Tampa Bay to New York.

Neither the Mets nor the Rays announced a formal diagnosis for Hunter beyond the Mets’ original indication that he was dealing with a lower back injury. As it turns out, Hunter missed the remainder of last season after undergoing back surgery, Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic reports (Twitter links). Furthermore, Ghiroli adds that Hunter is now healthy and recent held a bullpen session attended by scouts from upwards of a dozen teams, reaching the mid-90s with his heater during that showcase.

Hunter, 35, appeared in just four games with the Mets last season but was sharp in that brief time, logging eight shutout innings with a 6-to-3 K/BB ratio and an above-average 47.8% ground-ball rate. Solid work out of the ’pen is nothing new for Hunter, who since moving to the bullpen on a full-time basis in 2013, has compiled 402 innings of 3.18 ERA ball with a 20.7% strikeout rate, an outstanding 5.3% walk rate and a solid 45.9% grounder rate. He’s seen that strikeout rate jump in recent years (23.2% from 2017-21) without significantly increasing his walk rate (5.3%).

Unfortunately for Hunter, injuries are also nothing new for him. There’s little doubt that he’s a talented late-inning arm, but Hunter has dealt with back, forearm (twice), hamstring and calf strains dating back to 2017, and he missed a good portion of the 2016 season following sports hernia surgery as well. Since Opening Day 2016, he’s averaged just 32 innings per season (34 if you exclude the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, which skews the number a bit even though Hunter was healthy for it).

Hunter has pitched for seven big league teams and carries a career 3.21 ERA out of the bullpen. Given the lengthy layoff from pitching, he might require a minor league tune-up before he’s able to jump back onto a big league roster, but bullpen-hungry teams will surely be interested in taking a low-cost look at a pitcher with his track record if he’s indeed healthy now.

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New York Mets Tampa Bay Rays Tommy Hunter

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Ronald Torreyes Granted Release By Phillies
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19 Comments

  1. LFGMets (Metsin7)

    3 years ago

    I’d like him back on the Mets. They barely gave him a chance yet they used guys like Yennsy Diaz, Castro, Eickhoff instead of an established reliever

    8
    Reply
    • jt33nym

      3 years ago

      I was thinking the same thing. Seems like a solid option to add back into the mix

      5
      Reply
    • Y2KAK

      3 years ago

      Your wish is granted

      3
      Reply
  2. jmlang

    3 years ago

    looks like someone the Cardinals would sign, weak, broken and subject to injury

    2
    Reply
    • Jerry Cantrell

      3 years ago

      Can he close games?

      1
      Reply
  3. Thornton Mellon

    3 years ago

    Low cost?
    Orioles hear those words and salivate.

    5
    Reply
    • Deadguy

      3 years ago

      So do the Reds, Pirates, Rays, Athletics to name a few

      Reply
  4. Jeff Zanghi

    3 years ago

    The Red Sox need to jump on this… their bullpen is barely hanging on by their teeth and just a steadying presence would do wonders for the collective group.

    2
    Reply
  5. NINCOMPOOP

    3 years ago

    Tommy brings a good aura with him… good dude

    Reply
    • rememberthecoop

      3 years ago

      How do you know?

      1
      Reply
    • Dunedin020306

      3 years ago

      Anyone know why Cleveland cut Hunter loose in the 2016 season? His ERA, WHIP, and other numbers seemed pretty solid. The Indians were on their way to the postseason and likely needed good relief pitchers. I read Hunter was injured in late July, was released by Cleveland in late August, was picked up by Baltimore a few days later and had a solid remainder of the season with them. His release by Cleveland didn’t seem to make sense to me.

      Reply
  6. solaris602

    3 years ago

    Hopefully he makes it through the workout without suffering a season-ending injury. This guy just can’t stay off the shelf, but someone will take a flyer on him.

    Reply
    • StPeteStingRays

      3 years ago

      Sounds like me, IL HOF’er…

      Reply
  7. bobbyvwannabe

    3 years ago

    I liked what I saw of Hunter as a NY Met. I would hope the Mets scouts were in attendance as we still need more bullpen arms. But who doesn’t?

    Reply
  8. lady1959

    3 years ago

    Big Game Hunter ⚾️

    Reply
  9. Yankee Clipper

    3 years ago

    Just make sure he can throw a ball & not just participating in “baseball activities…” a la Conforto, huh?

    Reply
  10. dodgerskingsfan

    3 years ago

    Watch the dodgers will sign him

    1
    Reply
    • Deadguy

      3 years ago

      Nope

      Reply
  11. libertybell444

    3 years ago

    He is very, very, very injury prone. If he signs a contract there’s a chance he’ll injure his wrist writing his name. This guy has been stealing MLB cash for a few seasons now.

    Reply

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