This is an important season for Hunter, a pending free agent who prefers to start but has been an effective late-inning reliever. Don't obsess over his abbreviated stint as closer last season. Hunter posted a 1.77 ERA in his final 43 appearances beginning on May 17. Some teams may want to give him another shot as a starter or closer. Some teams may view him as a set-up man who can blow away hitters in the eighth inning. And in case you haven't noticed, set-up men are getting paid much better these days. Hunter was paid $3 million last season and MLBTradeRumors.com projects that he'll make $4.4 million in arbitration. He could be in line for a substantial raise next year depending on his performance this summer. Shifting gears here - something I don't need to do manually with the Camaro - did you catch executive vice president Dan Duquette's quote about Delmon Young that I added to yesterday's entry? "Delmon Young is an accomplished major league hitter who had a nice year with a lot of clutch hits in part-time duty in 2014," Duquette wrote in a text message. "We look forward to his return and contribution to our 2015 team. Depending on how the team is structured, he could have a more vital role this season." The last sentence stuck with me. The Orioles want a left-handed bat, with Colby Rasmus their primary focus, but Young will get more plate appearances as the designated hitter if they fail to sign or trade for one. He also could spell Alejandro De Aza in left field if Steve Pearce is playing right. The Orioles value Young's ability to produce off the bench - his 10 pinch hits were tied for sixth-most in a single season in club history since 1974 - but he may be needed in the lineup more often in 2015 with the departures of Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis. Young appeared in 83 games and accumulated 242 at-bats last season. He tried to stay patient, joking at times about his inactivity. The Orioles may keep him busier this year.