ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Outfielder Torii Hunter and the

Los Angeles Angels reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday night on a

five-year contract thought to be worth $90 million.

"They play the game the right way," Hunter said. "They play

hard-nosed baseball."

The agreement is subject to a physical.

The 32-year-old becomes the much-needed hitter the Angels sought

to protect Vladimir Guerrero in the batting order. Hunter hit .297

with 28 homers and 107 RBIs for the Minnesota Twins this year and

is a seven-time Gold Glove winner.

He finished 15th in AL MVP balloting and was on the AL's All-Star team for the second time in his career.

"We are very excited to have Torii joining our organization," Angels general manager Tony Reagins said in a statement. "Not only is he an outstanding ballplayer but he's also an outstanding human being. He'll impact our ballclub and community in a very positive way."

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals and Washington Nationals were among those interested in Hunter. The newspaper reports that Reagins, the Angels' rookie general manager, called Hunter's agent Larry Reynolds on Tuesday and a deal for Hunter came together quickly.