Frustrated by unsuccessfully attempting to woo free agents Mark Teixeira and Carl Crawford to the Angels in past offseasons, Torii Hunter said yesterday that he’s done trying to recruit players to join him in California.
“I’m retired,” Hunter told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. “It hasn’t been working out. If somebody wants to call and talk to me about Anaheim, that’s fine. I’ll talk to them.”
Hunter is still owed $18 million next year in the final season of a five-year, $90 million deal, but as a 35-year-old hitting just .255 with 14 homers and a .733 OPS for his lowest mark since 2000 he’s unlikely to be with the Angels beyond 2012.
“Come play with me ... for one season” probably wouldn’t have been much of a recruiting pitch anyway.
