Oct 5, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter (48) reacts to a strike call against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning in game three of the 2014 ALDS baseball playoff game at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Already, the Royals rumor mill is beginning to spin now that the World Series is over. One of the hot items is the possibility that the Royals could pursue free agent right fielder Torii Hunter.

Royals GM Dayton Moore went hard after Hunter 7 years ago before he signed with the Angels, and could figure in the mix this offseason if the Royals decide to move on from Nori Aoki in right field.

CBS Sports’ John Heyman wrote about about this possibility on October 28.

Heyman sees Hunter as a fit for the Royals because Aoki is a free agent and he believes the Royals are unlikely to pick up the $12 million option on Billy Butler. Heyman thinks that Hunter could fill in at both right field and DH for the Royals, since GM Dayton Moore has expressed a desire to turn the DH position into a rotation that allows different position players to get rest during the season.

Hunter is still a solid hitter, putting up a .286/.319/.446 triple slash with a .765 OPS, 17 home runs and 83 RBI’s. However, the 39-year-old Hunter is not the defensive whiz that piled up 9 gold gloves in his career. In fact, his Utimate Zone Rating prorated over 150 games was a terrible -20.2. Perhaps Hunter would play better if he became an occasional, rather than everyday, outfielder with rest for his soon to be 40-year-old legs.

Even so, Hunter would be a nice fit in a Kansas City lineup that is in sore need of another run producer. He also could fill the role of veteran clubhouse presence if the team is unable to bring back James Shields.

The price, of course, would have to be right. But the Royals should have room at add at least one, or maybe two, free-agent pieces that do not break the bank.