Cleveland Indians Roundup: Indians Sign Tommy Hunter; Minor Transactions; Looming Outfield

Will the Cleveland Indians add an outfielder?

The Cleveland Indians signed Tommy Hunter yesterday. Hunter, 29, has spent the last three seasons working in relief after failing to establish himself as a starting pitcher. The right-hander does not strikeout many batters, which is somewhat surprising given that his fastball averages 96.4 miles per hour, per PITCHf/x. Alas, he induces a ground ball nearly half the time.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of the deal is that it only guarantees him $2 million, mere peanuts in today’s market. Despite displaying pristine results with a regular workload with the Baltimore Orioles, Hunter imploded with the Chicago Cubs in just over 15 innings of work. In that time he allowed ten runs, all earned, on 20 hits and three walks. This signing has the potential to yield huge dividends for the thrifty Indians, for the reliever only needs to show average value to be worth such a small sum.

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In two lesser transactions, the Indians designated Tony Wolters and signed Guillermo Quiroz. Wolters, 23, has shown little offensive promise in the minors and has yet to establish himself in Double-A. Quiroz, on the other hand, has appeared in parts of ten MLB seasons with seven different teams. He too is light with the bat, and he has roughly average fielding. Over his 380 career plate appearances, he has amassed an fWAR of -1.6.

Finally, Zack Meisel of Cleveland.com wonders if the Cleveland Indians will sign another free agent outfielder. As he notes, the team lacks a solid outfield, and its Opening Day lineup of Rajai Davis, Abraham Almonte, and Lonnie Chisenhall does not exactly strike fear into the hearts of opponents. Given the availability of Austin Jackson, Dexter Fowler, and Marlon Byrd, the team might just swoop in and pick up one of these players should their prices drop enough. This said, Fowler’s qualified offer and Byrd’s age might just factor them out.

More from around the American League Central:

Cleveland Indians Sign Tommy Hunter to One-Year Deal – Wahoo’s on First

Will Another Free-Agent Outfielder Fall into the Cleveland Indians’ Lap? Zack Meisel’s Musings – Cleveland.com

Kansas City Royals: The Interesting Dynamic with Scott Boras – Kings of Kauffman

Detroit Tigers: Louis Coleman is Worth a Flier – Motor City Bengals

White Sox Player Profile: Jose Abreu – Southside Showdown

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