Between now and Opening Day, the Boston Red Sox are going to need to bring in at least one new player to patrol the outfield.

Re-signing Cody Ross is one option. What about free agent veteran outfielder Torii Hunter?

WEEI's Rob Bradford reported Tuesday that Hunter is potentially interested in heading to Boston and being recruited by his former Twins teammate David Ortiz.

Is Hunter a viable outfield candidate for the Red Sox?

Of course. Hunter is well known as one of baseball's good guys. He won the 2007 Marvin Miler Award, awarded to the player who demonstrates a combination of outstanding on-field performance with off-field contributions to his community.

Over 16 big league seasons he's won nine gold gloves and made four all star teams. At 37 years old, Hunter is on the back end of a great career.

While he might not have too many years left as a productive everyday outfielder, he's probably got a year or two. He hit .313 with 16 home runs and 92 RBI last season. He played primarily right field last season, and Hunter might just be the perfect guy to provide a fill-in while the Red Sox await the arrival of young prospects such as Bryce Brentz and Jackie Bradley to the majors.

For the Red Sox, Hunter presents a bit of a dilemma. The Red Sox don't want to get older, but they also need to put a competitive team on the field. To do that they are going to need to bring in a few players who might not fit into what most people consider as a long-term solution to their current problems.

You can't just wave a magic wand and instantly create a whole generation of young prospects with unlimited talent.

The 2012 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants have a great young catcher named Buster Posey and several top pitchers who were products of their minor league system.

They also had veterans such as second baseman Marco Scutaro, outfielder Angel Pagan and relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt.

The 2013 Boston Red Sox are going to have some promising young players who contribute. Will Middlebrooks will be back at third base. Pitchers such as Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa could both make appearances as starting pitchers.

Torri Hunter would be a very good addition. His veteran presence would add maturity and he'd be a positive influence in the clubhouse.

Of course, how much money he's looking for, and more importantly how long a contract he's searching for, will play key roles in determining if Hunter ever dons a Red Sox uniform.

If his expectations are reasonable he's a great short-term signing. Don't think of Hunter as Mike Cameron Part 2. That's not fair to Hunter, who has a much better track record of health and performance than Cameron ever had. Hunter could end up as a great addition in Boston, even if it is only for a brief period of time.