TORONTO — Aaron Hicks frequently talks with former Twins teammate Torri Hunter, but the voice he often hears in his head is the one from two years ago.
Hicks was a first-round pick in the 2008 draft and hit .192 in 81 big league games in 2013 and .215 in 69 games for the Twins the following year.
So when Hunter rejoined the Twins in 2015 for the final season of a brilliant career that started with Minnesota in 1997, he immediately embraced the veteran leadership role. A main target was Hicks, a switch-hitting outfielder scouts loved for his speed, above-average arm and the ability to chase down fly balls.