CLEARWATER, Fla. — Spring training began last February and Tommy Hunter was without a team. The reliever, after battling injuries the previous season, was jobless.
Tampa Bay invited the right-hander to camp on a minor-league contract a week into spring training. No guarantee except for a uniform and a locker. Hunter pitched well, made the opening-day roster, and had the best season of his career. The Phillies signed him in December, giving him $18 million over two years, the offseason’s fifth-largest contract for a relief pitcher. Quite a bit changed for Hunter in the span of 10 months.