Torii Hunter signs two-year deal with Detroit Tigers

You can now officially refer to Angels outfielder Torii Hunter as former Angels outfielder Torii Hunter.

A person with knowledge of the negotiations says free agent outfielder Hunter has agreed to a two-year deal with the Detroit Tigers.

The person, who spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because no announcement has been made, says the deal is pending a physical.

So, it looks like the Angels outfield next season will consist of Mark Trumbo, Mike Trout and Peter Bourjos, unless Vernon Wells suddenly becomes a good player again.

As Times Angels reporter Mike DiGiovanna wrote Tuesday, when predicting Hunter would end up with the Tigers,

“Detroit is looking for a corner outfielder, preferably one who hits right-handed, and Hunter is a nine-time Gold Glove Award winner coming off one of his finest seasons, in which he hit .313 with 16 home runs and 92 runs batted in and carried the Angels for much of September.

“Hunter, who hit second between Mike Trout and Albert Pujols last season, would fit nicely in the Tigers’ two hole behind leadoff man Austin Jackson and ahead of Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Victor Martinez, who is expected back in 2013 after missing 2012 because of injury.

“Hunter is very familiar with the AL Central, having played his first nine seasons with the Minnesota Twins, and as an added bonus, Detroit is only a 3 1/2-hour drive from South Bend, Ind., where Hunter’s son, Torii Jr., a high school football and baseball star in Texas, will enroll at Notre Dame next fall.”

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