.....
Based on 2012 WAR numbers, Hunter is a nearly 7-win improvement over Boesch, a testament to Hunter's under-the-radar campaign and Boesch's all-around dismal play. Boesch was so bad that the Tigers eventually dumped him for an Andy Dirks-Avisail Garcia platoon late in the season, but Garcia needs more time in the minors and Dirks is currently the best option for left field.
Of course, it's not likely that Hunter will repeat his 2012 numbers, especially on offense. Hunter's walk rate was actually his lowest since 2007 and his strikeout rate the highest of his career, so I don't think we saw a new approach that suddenly turned him into a .300 hitter. Batting second behind Mike Trout may have meant he saw a lot of fastballs to feast on as well. The high BABIP suggests a fluke season. Still, even if Hunter returns to his 2011 line of .262/.336/.429, he's a decent bat and a big improvement with the glove over Boesch. Hunter was about a 3-win player in 2010 and 2011, and that's probably a better estimate of his value moving forward. We're still talking a 4- or 5-win improvement in right field for the Tigers. At $13 million per season, it's a good, low-risk signing.
Suddenly, the Tigers' lineup looks a lot better than what we saw Jim Leyland run out there during the World Series:
CF Austin Jackson
LF Andy Dirks
3B Miguel Cabrera
1B Prince Fielder
RF Torii Hunter
DH Victor Martinez
SS Jhonny Peralta
C Alex Avila
2B Omar Infante
What's even scarier for the rest of the AL Central is that the Tigers may not be done. They could sign a closer to replace free agent Jose Valverde and, who knows, maybe another outfielder like Nick Swisher or Hamilton is still in play. The Tigers lost over $20 million in 2012 payroll with the departures of Valverde, Young and Brandon Inge, so they may still have some of owner Mike Ilitch's cash to play with. 
