Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Souhan: Promising Twins lineup lacks hitters for traditional roles. Star Tribune (Souhan) p. 1

Twins camp opens with one big pitching question mark. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2

Twins day at camp: Hughes sheds 15 pounds after back troubles of 2015. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 4

Twins search for lefthanded relievers. Star Tribune p. 5

No injuries, drama, or decisions mark Minnesota Twins first training camp workout. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 5

In Byung-Ho Park’s Korean league, American leftovers dominate. Pioneer Press (Eccher) p. 6

Twins: Ervin Santana reflects on lifetime PED ban for Jenrry Mejia. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 7

Twins’ Nick Burdi experimenting with a new weapon. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8

Inside the Twins’ locker room shuffle; interpreter hired for Byung Ho Park. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 9

Head start helps Murphy spring into action. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 10

Molitor champions pitching before 1st workout. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 10

Twins pitching staff healthy, hopeful at spring training. Associated Press p. 11

A look around MLB at players who are changing positions in 2016. CBS Sports (Axisa) p. 12

Minnesota Twins To Use Kinduct Technologies To Try And Prevent Injuries This Coming Season. Sport Techie p. 12

Twins' Mauer finally healthy, working to return to form. Pioneer Press (Murphy) p. 13

Twins' Molitor balks at naming Opening Day starting pitcher. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 14

Twins' Molitor looking forward to second season as the boss. Associated Press (Mullen) p. 16

BATTER UP: SPRING TRAINING IN FORT MYERS. Naples illustrated (Brown) p. 17

Fans dole out economy boost during spring training. WINK News p. 18

TIL: Twins lineup card is a clean sheet in Paul Molitor’s eyes. 1500 ESPN (Wetmore) p. 18

Former Yankee John Ryan Murphy takes to Minnesota Twins. News Press (Dorsey) p. 20

Souhan: Promising Twins lineup lacks hitters for traditional roles

Jim Souhan | Star Tribune | February 23, 2016 FORT MYERS, FLA. – When he played for Toronto, Paul Molitor put the M in WAMCO. Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston liked his set lineup of Devon White, Robbie Alomar, Molitor, Joe Carter and John Olerud, the heart of the team that won the 1993 World Series. During that season, the Jays traded for Rickey Henderson, the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history. HWAMCO does not have a ring to it, and Gaston wanted to include his star players in whatever lineup changes would be necessary, so he called his top five hitters into his office, handed them sheets of paper and asked them to write out their ideal lineups. Henderson wound up leading off. Last year, when the Twins called up top prospect and exceptionally fast runner Byron Buxton during the season, Molitor, the Twins rookie manager, remembered Gaston’s inclusiveness, and called his veteran hitters into his office. He asked them to write down their ideal lineups, wondering how many of them would bat Buxton leadoff.

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“Brian Dozier listed himself as the leadoff hitter, and Joe Mauer had himself hitting third, whether against lefties or righties,” Molitor said Monday. “That’s just how they see themselves.” What’s interesting is that Molitor doesn’t necessarily agree, and might be willing to take Mauer out of the third spot in the lineup, where he has batted nearly his entire life. Minnesota Twins pitchers and catchers walked onto the practice fields before the beginning of practice. Monday was the first organized practice of spring training for pitchers and catchers. “No, I’m not locked into Joe at 3,” Molitor said. Last year, the Twins finished eighth of 15 American League teams in runs scored, even though they ranked 13th in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (OPS). Once again, they have an intriguing collection of hitters but few lineup prototypes. Dozier likes to lead off but has led the team in home runs for three consecutive seasons. His on-base percentage of .307 is not conducive to leading off, and his low batting average is not conducive to hitting second or third. Mauer likes to bat third but his slugging percentage of .380 was the eighth best among Twins regulars. On a quality offensive team he might be best suited to hitting eighth or ninth. Miguel Sano is the team’s best and most dangerous batter, but strikes out more than prototypical No. 3 hitters. “Can we hit Miguel third? Yes,” Molitor said. “Can he hit fourth? Yes. Can Joe hit second? Yes. I still haven’t really thought about Joe leading off. I know a lot of people like to ask me about that because on-base percentage is still an area where he’s one of the best guys on the team, even though his batting average hasn’t been what we saw as a younger player. “He’s still a top-of-the-lineup guy. I’m just not sure where yet.” The Twins don’t have prototypes for the first, third and fifth spots in their lineup, at least not until Buxton becomes polished enough to bat leadoff. I think Molitor will keep Dozier in the leadoff spot and bat Mauer second. While their offensive profiles might suggest batting Mauer first and Dozier second, that would leave the Twins with a stretch of righthanded hitters that could be victimized by strong righthanded pitching. Here’s my ideal lineup, at least until Buxton matures: Dozier, Mauer, Sano, Trevor Plouffe, Byung Ho Park/Oswaldo Arcia, Eddie Rosario, Eduardo Escobar, Kurt Suzuki/John Ryan Murphy, Buxton. This possible lineup highlights the importance of Buxton. If he can produce as a leadoff hitter, the lineup would become much deeper, with much more speed at the top. At the moment, the Twins have only one everyday player who should be clearly better offensively than the league average: Sano. Dozier’s power obscures his low on-base percentage and batting average. He finished last season with an OPS of .751. Robinson Cano, considered a disappointment for Seattle, had an OPS of .779. To perpetuate a theme, the Twins will be a good offensive team when Sano and Buxton make them a good offensive team. Molitor’s lineup decisions will become much simpler when Buxton proves he can hit big-league pitching. Twins camp opens with one big pitching question mark

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | February 23, 2016 FORT MYERS, FLA. – Antonio Bastardo was available. Tony Sipp also was on the market. Maybe the Brewers would have parted with Will Smith in the right deal. The Twins could have filled their opening for a lefthanded setup man with someone with a proven track record. They passed on Sipp and Bastardo, who

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each will make at least $6 million this season. And they didn’t land one in a trade — perhaps Smith will be available during the season if there still is a need. And so there was one significant question mark as the Twins spring training opened Monday with 31 pitchers and eight catchers beginning formal workouts at the CenturyLink Sports Complex. Most of the everyday position lineup is known. The Twins know who their top eight starters are — and might have an idea who the best five are. But the composition of the bullpen — particularly which lefthander can set up for closer Glen Perkins — is yet to be determined. “From the left side, you’ve got Glen,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said, “and a lot of guys.” There are 12 of them, to be exact. All with different levels of experience and whose chances of winning a job span from good to fat. “It’s going to be an open book this spring,” Twins pitching coach Neil Allen said. “There are jobs to be won. There are jobs to be had. And nothing is going to be set in stone until we sit down the last 10 days and really focus on some ideas and some directions on what we need.” There are no preferred candidates but several Twins officials have indicated that, as of now, minor league free agent Fernando Abad and prospect Taylor Rogers have the best chances to win the available lefty bullpen job. Abad, 30, has six years of big-league experience and spent the past two seasons with Oakland. His 2014 season was excellent, as he posted a 1.57 ERA in 69 games while holding opponents to a .175 batting average. Things didn’t go so well last season, as his ERA shot up to 4.15 and lefthanded hitters batted .277 against him. Twins scouts believe Abad tipped some of his pitches, something they can address during camp. Abad thinks his struggles are from not pitching in winter ball following the 2014 season. He remained in the United States while waiting for his green card and worked out on his own. He said his arm didn’t feel the same, and it led to getting pitches up in the zone and his performance suffered. This offseason, he was back with Toros del Este of the Dominican Winter League. “It’s different when I train by myself than with someone else,” Abad said of being on a winter-ball team. “This year, I prepared pretty good. I played winter ball and everything changed. So I am ready to go.” Abad likes to throw a changeup, which is a good match with the pitching philosophy of Allen, who promotes throwing the offspeed pitch. Rogers, 25, has started for most of his pro career, going 11-12 with a 3.98 ERA last season for Class AAA Rochester in 28 games (27 starts) over 174 innings. He threw another 25 innings during Arizona Fall League, where he improved his changeup. His fastball sits at 89-91 miles per hour, and he throws a sharp slider. The Twins like that he goes after hitters, so they feel he could help out of the bullpen. Rogers isn’t used to warming up quickly or pitching in back-to-back games. He sought advice on those issues from his twin brother Tyler, a reliever in the Giants organization. “Whatever the team needs and whatever I can do is what I’ll do,” Rogers said. “I’m sure I’ll miss starting, but as long as you are pitching, you can’t really complain.” Two other candidates are Aaron Thompson and Ryan O’Rourke. Thompson had 2.11 ERA through his first 17 games with the Twins in 2015 but 10.64 over his last 24, and he didn’t return after being demoted July 7. He was replaced by O’Rourke, who isn’t a hard thrower, but lefties hit only .171 against him in his 27 games in the majors. The Twins will look at other criteria as well who the lefthander will be. Can he hold runners on? Does he have a slide step? Can he get a few righthanded hitters out too? There are many things to consider as the Twins tackle the lefthanded question. “We don’t know what kind of a situational lefty we are looking for and how his stuff matches up for us,” Allen said. “A lot of that will come into play during this spring training.”

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Twins day at camp: Hughes sheds 15 pounds after back troubles of 2015

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | February 22, 2016 Glen Perkins wasn’t the only Twins pitcher with back problems last season. His buddy Phil Hughes struggled most of the season but a back injury during the second half knocked him out of action for a month. For Hughes, it topped off a trying season in which he saw his fastball velocity dip to 90.7 miles per hour after sitting at 92.1 mph in 2014. The righthander’s changeup velocity (84.4) was about the same as recent seasons. That difference of 6.3 mph is not the desired variance, and it showed as Hughes’ strikeouts per nine innings dropped to 5.4 after being at 8.0 the year before. Hughes had to leave an Aug. 9 start at Cleveland after three innings because of back pain, but he admitted during a conversation on Sunday that he wasn’t right all season. His velocity reflected that. Was the back a problem all season? “It’s hard to say,” Hughes said. “I didn’t start feeling the back until a few starts before the Cleveland game. My velo wasn’t right either. There’s a lot of things that could have gone into it.” Like Perkins, Hughes focused on getting his core strong during the offseason and has lost about 15 pounds. “I’m feeling like I’m giving myself a chance this year,” he said. “Training as hard as I possibly could this offseason and coming in and seeing how it translates and going from there.” No Opening Day nod yet While some teams have already named their Opening Day starters, Twins manager Paul Molitor said Monday that he was “not close” to doing so. Molitor and pitching coach Neil Allen have to talk about the subject then map out the rotation. They can always juggle things early in camp to line up the rotation to their liking. Righthanders Hughes, Ervin Santana and Kyle Gibson are the best candidates to get the ball on Opening Day. Hughes got the nod last season, his first Opening Day assignment ever, after Molitor announced it during the first day of camp. “I don’t mind doing that when it’s a slam dunk, but I’m not sure we’re quite at that point yet,” Molitor said. “Neil and I have talked about it, obviously, because you kind of have a tendency to work back from where you’re going to go. You can shuffle with that a little bit early on, if something emerges.” Let’s meet Alex Swim Catcher Age: 24 2015 stats: .311 average, no home runs, 38 RBI in 85 games at Class A Fort Myers. Acquired: Drafted in the 22nd round out of Elon in 2013. Role: Catcher, outfielder and first baseman at Class AA Chattanooga or Class A Fort Myers. Did you know? Swim caught and played outfield in college. While at Cedar Rapids in 2014, there were so many catchers on the roster he ended playing outfield and first base. A career .307 hitter, he has yet to hit a home run as a professional.

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Twins search for lefthanded relievers

Star Tribune | February 23, 2016 In search of a lefty There’s no shortage of candidates in the Twins’ search for a lefthanded setup man: Fernando Abad, 30: Has a 3.72 ERA over six-year big-league career. Buddy Boshers, 27: Former Angels pitcher was in independent ball last season. Logan Darnell, 27: Extensive bullpen work for first time last year at Rochester. Pat Dean, 26: Good control. Will relieve with the Twins or start at Rochester. Mason Melotakis, 24: Had Tommy John surgery last year, so no chance here. Ryan O’Rourke, 27: Could be a one-out lefty, as he was at the end of last season. Taylor Rogers, 25: Former starter being converted to reliever. Randy Rosario, 21: Live arm, but hasn’t pitched above Low-A ball. Dan Runzler, 30: Has thrown 97 miles per hour. Knee injury marred career. Mike Strong, 27: Afton native claimed off waivers; super longshot to make team. Aaron Thompson, 29: Has a breaking ball to get lefties out. Has to keep ball down. No injuries, drama, or decisions mark Minnesota Twins first training camp workout

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | February 22, 2016 While some teams have already named their Opening Day starter, Twins manager Paul Molitor said on Monday that he was, "not close,'' to doing so. Molitor and pitching coach Neil Allen have to talk about the subject then map out the rotation. They can always juggle things early in camp to line up the rotation to their liking. Righthanders Phil Hughes, Ervin Santana and Kyle Gibson are candidates to get the ball on Opening Day. Hughes got the nod last season, his first ever Opening Day assignment. "I don’t mind doing that when it’s a slam dunk but I’m not sure we’re quite at that point yet,'' Molitor said. "Neil and I have talked about it, obviously, because you kind of have a tendency to work back from where you’re going to go. You can shuffle with that a little bit early on, if something emerges.'' Order disorder Molitor said he has thought about his 2016 lineup but it not close to finalizing it. He knows that Brian Dozier should be somewhere in the top third, although he's not a prototypical hitter at any of those spots. "Brian Dozier is a guy you want at the top of the lineup,'' Molitor said. "I’m not sure where he fits best. It’s not really a leadoff approach, it’s not really a two-hitter approach, it’s not really a three-hitter approach. But his body of work produces runs. So I have to try to figure out how that’s going to play out.'' Molitor added that he's not married to batting Joe Mauer third.

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My guess: I would bat Dozier leadoff, Mauer second and Miguel Sano third. Those three hitters will draw the most walks, and Sano has a chance to put them ahead 1-0 in the first inning. The problem there is that Trevor Plouffe would likely have to be the cleanup hitter, which might not be a fit. Eddie Rosario would have to bat fifth to balance out the order, followed by Byung Ho Park. The Hawk is back LaTroy Hawkins, who pitched for the Twins from 1995-2003, is in camp as a special instructor. He spent part of his day talking with different groups of pitchers about the best ways to hold runners on base. The Twins are making this a huge priority in camp this year. Slide steps, pickoffs throws, the works. But as pitchers warmed up, Molitor said the Hawkins remarked how weird it felt watching pitchers throw instead of being among them. Hawkins pitched with the Twins from 1995-2003. He pitched for 11 different teams over a 21-year career that spanned 1,042 games. Etc. There are no official restrictions on anyone at camp, but the club remains mindful that lefthander Mason Melotakis is coming back from Tommy John surgery in August of 2014. He didn't pitch at all last season but did throw some during instructional league. So the Twins will remain mindful that Melotakis, a second round pick in 2012 with fastball that tops 95 miles an hour, doesn't have much of a base under him. In Byung-Ho Park’s Korean league, American leftovers dominate

Marino Eccher | Pioneer Press | February 22, 2016 In Korea, he was a terror, batting .381, thwacking 47 home runs and amassing a 1.288 OPS last season that would make Barry Bonds look cleaner than a green trap. He led his team to a deep playoff run and was named the league’s most valuable player. In MLB, he was a nobody — a prototypical Four-A player who tore up the minors but never stuck in the big leagues before washing out after two seasons at age 25 and heading overseas. That’s Eric Thames, a one-time Blue Jays and Mariners outfielder who took a star turn in the Korean Baseball Organization. He’s not Byung-Ho Park — the fellow statistical marvel he narrowly bested in KBO MVP voting — and his career arc from American mediocrity to Korean brilliance is no certain analogue for Park’s journey in reverse. But Thames, and a handful of other former MLB players who dominate the league Park is leaving behind, shed some light on the gap between the KBO and the majors and the leap the newest Twins import is trying to make. By our count, 13 position players with MLB experience took at-bats in the Korean league last season. Eight of them recorded a top-50 OPS. Three were among the top 10 home run hitters. Nearly all of them have been better there — in most cases, dramatically so — than they’d ever been in the big leagues. About half were better than they were in the American minors. The list (data from baseball-reference.com): Aggregate them together and their production at each stop looks roughly like this: A league-average OPS in the majors last season was .721. In Korea, it was .785. That speaks to the gulf in styles between the two leagues — with the KBO resembling a souped-up version of MLB at the height of the mid-90s offensive boom: All of this suggests Park, who put up huge KBO numbers last year, is due for a downturn in Minnesota, and probably a steep one. How steep? We can’t tell you, and we’d be making a lot more money if we could. A worst-case scenario might look like Yamaico Navarro, a former Red Sox prospect who finished second to Park in home runs in the KBO last year. Navarro hit .287 and went deep 48 times in Korea last season; in parts of two seasons in the major leagues, he hit .206 with two home runs. A less drastic (but still likely disappointing) landing point would be Thames, whose MLB slash line — .250/.296/.431 — made him slightly worse than a replacement level player. He did hit 21 home runs in a season-plus, to go along with 175 strikeouts– neither of which seem like unreasonable benchmarks

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for Park. The best-case scenario probably resembles Pittsburgh shortstop Jung Ho Kang. He was Park’s Nexen Heroes teammate in Korea for four seasons before signing with the Pirates last year. His KBO production was in a similar stratosphere as Park’s — in his last season there, Kang hit .356/.459/.739 with 40 home runs. In Pittsburgh, that fell to a respectable .287/.355./.461 with 15 homers. Given the differences in their styles — Park has more pop; Kang makes more consistent contact — that more or less jibes with FanGraphs’ sanguine projection of a .254/.328/.479 line and 30 home runs for Park. We suspect the Twins — who haven’t had a 30-plus home run hitter since 2012 — would be plenty happy with that, especially for what amounts to a $25 million investment over four years ($12.85 million for his posting fee and another $12 million in salary). And if they get something less? Park will simply join the ranks of hitters who conquered one side of the world but not the other. Twins: Ervin Santana reflects on lifetime PED ban for Jenrry Mejia

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | February 22, 2016 FORT MYERS, Fla. — Ervin Santana doesn’t know Jenrry Mejia very well, but he can sympathize with his countryman from the Dominican Republic. Mejia, the New York Mets’ former closer, recently became the first major leaguer to receive a lifetime ban under increased penalties for performance-enhancing drugs. Mejia should have the ability to apply for reinstatement in two years, but at 26 he must consider the very real possibility that his career is over. “Everybody wants him to get (another) chance,” Santana, the Twins right-hander, said Monday on the first day of workouts for pitchers and catchers. “He’s a great guy, but it’s tough. It’s tough because he was the first to do that — suspended for life — and it’s going to be tough for everybody to try to give him a chance.” Eight days before Mejia received an 80-game suspension last April, Santana was hit with the same penalty after testing positive for the same substance: stanozolol. While Santana, 33, worked his way back to the Twins rotation by early July and eventually made 17 starts, Mejia never resurfaced. He tested positive again in late July, getting hit with a 162-game ban, and on Feb. 12 Mejia received his third PED strike. Santana hasn’t talked with Mejia since his lifetime ban was handed down, but he offered a public message to the baseball pariah. “(Mistakes) do happen, but you’ve got to be smarter than that, too,” Santana said. “Don’t make the same mistake you made (before). You just try to create some positivity in your mind and just try to get out of it.” Mejia’s misdeeds cost him a chance to pitch in a season that saw the Mets reach the World Series for the first time in 15 years. Considering the strain it put on the rotation in the first half, Santana’s suspension may have kept the Twins from reaching the postseason for first time since 2010. A second positive PED test would slap Santana with a 162-game ban of his own, so he has redoubled efforts to steer clear of unfamiliar supplements and inadvertent mix-ups. He checks with a Twins trainer before adding anything new to his regimen. “You have to ask, because everything now is different,” Santana said. “There are so many rules. For anything you want to take, you have to ask first.” While Mejia’s 2015 misdeeds cost him $2.6 million in salary, Santana forfeited $6.64 million from the four-year, $55 million contract he signed with the Twins in December 2014. He came back more determined than ever to make amends, which led to some blips as he settled into a new situation. Once Santana got his mechanics in order in late August, he reeled off a 1.62 earned-run average with a 5-1 record over his final seven starts. Even during his struggles, he was struck by how forgiving his new fan base could be. “I was very happy with the way the fans treated me; I appreciated that,” he said. “I thought they were going to boo me a lot, but it was the opposite. It made me happy and gave me more confidence, and you see the results.”

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Even an August trip to Yankee Stadium left Santana pleasantly surprised at the way the public treated him. “They didn’t do anything,” he said. “It was good. There’s people up there who like Ervin Santana.” Twins manager Paul Molitor and pitching coach Neil Allen are foremost among them. “I’m sure it was a challenging year for him to have to miss the time that he did, given the circumstances, but I think he showed us his value,” Molitor said. “He finished really strong for us.” Among all Dominican pitchers to reach the majors, Santana now ranks fifth in starts and ERA (4.16) for those with at least 300 starts. He needs 10 wins to move past the late Joaquin Andujar as well as Pedro Astacio and Ramon Martinez for the No. 4 spot all time, and with a normal year he should move into fifth place for innings and fourth in strikeouts. In other words, suspension aside, Santana’s place in his country’s esteemed baseball history continues to grow. Should Mejia be allowed back into the game, Santana believes he would make the most of the opportunity, even after incurring three failed PED tests in roughly 10 months. “He’s going to be more mature now,” Santana said. “He’s going to think more.” Having your livelihood taken away will do that to a person. Santana knows that all too well. Twins’ Nick Burdi experimenting with a new weapon

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | February 22, 2016 FORT MYERS, Fla. — Already blessed with a triple-digit fastball and a low-90s slider, Nick Burdi is set to add another weapon to his arsenal. The Twins’ fireballing relief prospect threw a handful of split-finger fastballs during Monday’s bullpen session. The right-hander has messed around with the pitch since he was in high school but has never thrown it in games. That could change after experiencing good results with the splitter during winter workouts back home in the Chicago suburbs. “We’ll see what happens,” Burdi said. “I can control it better than my changeup. It’s definitely a harder action. For a hitter, I feel like it’s going to be a little tougher to pick up.” When thrown properly, Burdi said, his splitter should come in at 82-83 mph. That’s nearly 20 mph slower than his fastball, although he has been concentrating on the two-seam (or sinking) fastball since an impressive turn in the Arizona Fall League. Burdi, 23, tossed 13 scoreless innings for Scottsdale in the AFL, striking out 17. He is a long shot to make the Twins’ bullpen out of spring training, but the former second-round pick and Louisville star could push for a role by midseason. “I’m just getting that foundation laid out,” Burdi said, “and be ready to go when the games start up.” OPENING DAY INTRIGUE On Day 1 of his first spring training, Paul Molitor revealed Phil Hughes would be his Opening Day starter. This year, Molitor is taking a more measured approach. “I don’t mind doing that when it’s a slam dunk but I’m not sure we’re quite at that point yet,” Molitor said. “We kind of have a general plan in mind but we’re not at a point where we feel comfortable locking that in. It’s good to have options.” In addition to Hughes, who has impressed the coaching staff with his conditioning, the Twins also have fellow right-handers Ervin Santana and Kyle

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Gibson to consider for the honor on April 4 at Baltimore. Briefly Miguel Sano, making the transition to right field, is likely to see more action than normal this spring so he can get more defensive repetitions, Molitor said. That could mean more bus trips to road games for the 22-year-old slugger. The Twins’ overall health is as good as it’s been in years heading into spring camp, Molitor said, relaying a comment from general manager Terry Ryan. Only lefty reliever Mason Melotakis, who has yet to see game action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2014, must be closely monitored at this point. Danny Santana said Ryan told him to concentrate on playing the outfield this spring. Santana, who broke in as an outfielder in 2014, saw plenty of action in both center and right field in the Dominican Winter League, where he also played more second base than shortstop. Inside the Twins’ locker room shuffle; interpreter hired for Byung Ho Park

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | February 22, 2016 FORT MYERS, Fla. — One of the first things Byung Ho Park did upon arriving in the Twins clubhouse on Monday morning was walk across the room and introduce himself to Ervin Santana. Trailing Park as he made his way around the room was new interpreter J.D. Kim, a 35-year-old resident of South Korea who has lived in Maryland for several years and also spent a year in Los Angeles. Kim formerly served as the interpreter for the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization. Park and his representative, Alan Nero, selected Kim with Twins approval. A two-month transitional overlap is customary so Jae Woong Han, Octagon’s client manager, can help train Kim. The Twins are contractually bound to pay $50,000 toward Kim’s salary each season. REAL ESTATE WATCH Twins equipment manager Rod McCormick and his staff annually take great care in deciding where to position various lockers in the overstuffed spring clubhouse. Among the notable placements this spring are a de facto triple locker for Joe Mauer in the corner just outside McCormick’s office. Torii Hunter was in that spot last year, but he had young outfielders Aaron Hicks and Byron Buxton immediately to his left. Kurt Suzuki, one of eight catchers aligned in a row, is Mauer’s closest neighbor this year. The open locker to Mauer’s right is designed for someone with a disability, as mandated by a local ordinance. Buxton has moved to the center of the longest row of uninterrupted lockers, flanked by outfielder Darin Mastroianni and catcher Mitch Garver. Max Kepler is on the other side of Mastroianni, followed by Miguel Sano, Joe Benson, Ryan Sweeney, Byung Ho Park, Rey Rodriguez, Eddie Rosario and Danny Santana. Ricky Nolasco still has his walled-off double stall in the corner closest to the exit. Eduardo Nunez is his closest neighbor. Glen Perkins and Phil Hughes are neighbors again right down the hall from Paul Molitor’s office. To their right is a line of relievers: Dan Runzler, Taylor Rogers, Casey Fien, Michael Tonkin and Fernando Abad. Reliever J.R. Graham has a surprising corner locker as well, with starters Tyler Duffey and Kyle Gibson to his immediate left. Infield row again has Brian Dozier in the corner. His neighbors are Jorge Polanco, Trevor Plouffe, Eduardo Escobar and James Beresford along with outfielders Oswaldo Arcia and Carlos Quentin. Three former Los Angeles Angels are in close proximity to the showers: Ervin Santana, Kevin Jepsen and Buddy Boshers, with Mason Melotakis lockering between Santana and Jepsen. Jose Berrios and Alex Meyer are neighbors on that row, followed by Ryan O’Rourke, Brandon Kintzler, Trevor May, Mike

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Strong and Tommy Milone on the end. There’s also a center console with eight more lockers for younger players: Pat Dean, J.T. Chargois, Nick Burdi and Randy Rosario have one side, while Engelb Vielma, Yorman Landa, Jake Reed and Adam Brett Walker II occupy the other. Briefly –Fifteen Twins pitchers were scheduled to throw side sessions on Monday, the first day for pitchers and catchers on the field. –LaTroy Hawkins, who pitched for 11 big-league teams after the Twins drafted him in 1991, is in camp as a special instructor. Head start helps Murphy spring into action

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | February 22, 2016 FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As a new member of the organization, Twins catcher John Ryan Murphy had been looking forward to the first official day of workouts for pitchers and catchers since being traded from the Yankees for center fielder Aaron Hicks on Nov. 11. That day finally came on Monday, as Murphy caught Minor League right-hander Randy Rosario in a bullpen session and participated in several catching drills. But it wasn't anything too new for Murphy, who has been working out at the club's complex for a week and has already caught bullpen sessions from Twins pitchers Kyle Gibson, Phil Hughes and Glen Perkins. "Everything is brand-new, so I got here last week to kind of get acclimated and get my feet wet," Murphy said. "I felt good all week, and today was the first structured day. I felt great. I'm really excited." Murphy is still trying his best to learn all the different pitchers in camp, and he expects it to be an ongoing process throughout the spring. He said he got a head start by asking for video of all the club's pitchers in late January so he could watch them on his iPad. "I got them to send me a bunch of video after TwinsFest, so I was able to kind of familiarize myself with the pitchers with video," Murphy said. "But a lot of that will be done this month, and talking with Kurt [Suzuki, catcher] a bunch and [pitching coach] Neil Allen. Just getting to know the guys." So while the Twins believe Murphy can be their catcher of the future, they plan to take it easy on him early on, as Suzuki is set to remain the club's regular catcher heading into the season. As Murphy gains more experience and learns the pitching staff, he's expected to see his playing time increase. Murphy has played in 115 career games to Suzuki's 1,102 games over the last nine seasons, and the Twins value Suzuki's experience and leadership despite his down year last season. "I'm heading into camp thinking that Kurt is going to be our starting catcher," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "To try to make some sort of assessment that John Ryan Murphy is ready to be more than someone who backs up Kurt, at least once things get started, would be taking a leap. Spring Training can be tough to gauge. J.R.'s games and at-bats aren't really high up there yet." Murphy, 24, said he's fine with the arrangement and doesn't view it as a position battle. He sees Suzuki as someone who can help mentor him much like his experience with Yankees catcher Brian McCann. "Personally, I don't look at it as a competition," Murphy said. "We're a team, and everybody in here is a team. Until that lineup is up there on Opening Day and that lineup is set, we're one unit." Molitor champions pitching before 1st workout

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | February 22, 2016 FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Twins held their first official workouts for pitchers and catchers on Monday at the CenturyLink Sports Complex, as 15 of their 31 pitchers threw bullpen sessions under the watchful eye of pitching coach Neil Allen. The day began with manager Paul Molitor addressing his players and stressing what he plans to emphasize this spring and this season. He said it was important to talk to the new additions about what to expect, but he said he'll wait until the rest of the squad reports before delivering his full message to the team.

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"This morning we chatted for a bit, welcoming people back, and spent a little time, probably more than I anticipated -- it wasn't so much as 'message' as it was clarifying information on some things that we do here and how we do them, so the new people and the young people got a feel before they got out there," Molitor said. "Took longer than I thought, but it kind of lays the foundation with what we're doing with our pitching. "Let them know how we all understand that wherever it is we're trying to go, and I think we all know where that is, that the pitching will be the foundation, and those type of things." After the meeting, the pitchers and catchers broke off into different groups with Glen Perkins, Tyler Duffey, Taylor Rogers, Dan Runzler and J.T. Chargois the first to throw bullpen sessions. Others who threw off the mound include Tommy Milone, Ricky Nolasco, Michael Tonkin, Aaron Thompson, Nick Burdi, Casey Fien, J.R. Graham, Buddy Boshers, Mike Strong and Yorman Landa. The other pitchers mostly participated in pitchers' fielding practice drills, as they're all set to throw off a mound on Tuesday. Molitor was happy to report the Twins don't have any injury concerns heading into camp, outside of monitoring lefty reliever Mason Melotakis, who is coming off Tommy John surgery. "Kind of nice to get going today, obviously," Molitor said. "Coming into camp, we're in good shape health-wise. I think [general manager] Terry [Ryan] said something from yesterday about maybe the best year ever as far as coming into camp. "It's kind of nice to start slowly. We have a progression of the work with the program we've set up, and it went pretty seamless today, I thought. We'll just kind of gradually increase our workload as we get closer to full-squad, and we'll go from there." Worth noting • Molitor said he's not ready to name an Opening Day starter. He said there's not a slam-dunk candidate, but that he has an idea of who it'll be. Right-hander Ervin Santana remains the favorite to get the nod in the season opener on April 4 in Baltimore. • Former Twins reliever LaTroy Hawkins, who just retired after a 21-year career in the Majors, joined the club as a guest instructor. He's set to work with the club's relievers. Torii Hunter, who also retired this offseason after a 19-year career, is also going to serve as a guest instructor and arrives on Friday. Former Twins closer Rick Aguilera will be the final guest instructor and joins the club on March 10. • Several position players are already working out ahead of their report date, including Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Byung Ho Park, Eduardo Escobar, Jorge Polanco, Oswaldo Arcia, Danny Santana, Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario, Engelb Vielma, Joe Benson and Darin Mastroianni. Twins pitching staff healthy, hopeful at spring training

Associated Press | February 22, 2016 FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Minnesota Twins already have something to be thankful for at spring training: The pitching staff is relatively healthy. Minnesota had several pitchers see their seasons short-circuited by injuries last season. Right-hander Phil Hughes was limited to 25 starts, going 11-9 with a 4.40 ERA. Closer Glen Perkins recorded 32 saves in 60 appearances, but 28 of those saves came in the first half when he posted a 1.21 ERA. Hampered by a back injury, his ERA ballooned to 7.32 in the second half of the season. Left-hander Ervin Santana did not make his first appearance until July 5 after an 80-game suspension following a positive test for a banned substance. This year? With the exception of left-handed prospect Mason Melotakis, who is still recovering from Tommy John surgery in October 2014, all the Twins' pitchers enter the spring healthy. And Hughes is coming in some 15 to 18 pounds lighter after a rigorous offseason conditioning program to improve his flexibility. He knows it's important for him to get off to a good start. "It's huge. Our team was very competitive last year. I wasn't a key to that," he said after pitchers and catchers held their first official workouts of the season. "I think we got off to an awful start last year (1-7) and still were able to be there at the end. So I think the start's going to be very important for us." After Hughes posted some of the best numbers of his career in 2014 -- when he threw 209 2/3 innings, the only Twins pitcher to reach the 200-innings mark since 2011 -- the Twins are eager for more of that.

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"He's obviously put the work in -- he comes in, he looks really fit," manager Paul Molitor said. "I think he's highly motivated and he's prideful enough to try to rebound and have a better year and be a better contributor. I don't know if we can expect 230 innings or whatever it is, but I expect him to take the ball most of the year and like Ervin, he's a veteran guy that he's experienced a lot of things in this game, and one of the guys we're going to lean on to get us to where we want to go." In 17 starts last season, Santana went 7-5 with a 4.00 ERA. "I'm sure it was a challenging year for him to have to miss the time that he did, given the circumstances," Molitor said. "My expectation is that he's going to have a healthy year and give us a lot of innings and give us a chance to win a lot of ballgames." Molitor was not yet ready to name his opening day starter a year after giving the honor to Hughes early. Along with right-handers Kyle Gibson and Tyler Duffey, and lefty Tommy Milone, the Twins have several others vying for rotation spots, including right-handers Alex Meyer, Ricky Nolasco and prospect Jose Berrios along with lefty Trevor May, who is likely headed for the bullpen. The Twins went 83-79 last season, finishing second in the American League Central and staying in the hunt for a wild-card spot until the final weekend. "We're going to have a good division," general manager Terry Ryan said. "Detroit did some things. Cleveland's got the pitching. Kansas City's the reigning World Series champ. The White Sox feel good about what they're doing. Nobody talks about us. I know that. That's OK." A look around MLB at players who are changing positions in 2016

Mike Axisa | CBS Sports | February 22, 2016 Miguel Sano, Twins, DH to RF: This is a bold move. Sano is not a small man -- he's listed at 6-foot-4 and 260 lbs. -- and he's not a great runner, yet the Twins are planning to stick him in right field in spacious Target Field. Center fielder Byron Buxton is a fantastic defender and I expect him to shade towards the right-center field gap to help Sano as much as possible. Sano's best position is in the batter's box. As long as he mashes like he did last season, the Twins will live with his defense in right. Like the Red Sox and Ramirez, there could be some roster issues if Sano can not hack it in the outfield. Trevor Plouffe is at third base and Byung Ho Park and Joe Mauer figure to split time at DH and first base. The team has outfield depth -- Max Kepler, Oswaldo Arcia, etc. -- but a productive player would have to lose at-bats to get Sano into the lineup if he can't play the outfield. Minnesota Twins To Use Kinduct Technologies To Try And Prevent Injuries This Coming Season

Sport Techie | February 23, 2016 A sports technology company has added another team to their already impressive list of professional sport team partners. The Minnesota Twins and Kinduct Technologies have announced a merge to try and prevent injuries. Kinduct Technologies is dedicated to making people better by providing products to address information challenges of organizations who work with athletes, students, patients, employees and clients. Their software solutions help organize, collect, share and analyze data in one centralized platform that leads to better and more informed results. The company has previously signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and Orlando Magic. “We’re excited to partner with Kinduct to create a custom athlete management system that we can use to improve our players’ overall health and performance,” Tony Leo, the athletic therapist with the Minnesota Twins, said in a press release. By partnering with Kinduct Technologies, the Twins will be able to use the technology to modernize their performance and operational capabilities. The tools provided by Kinduct will be utilized across the Twins’ organization, even in their minor league clubs. “Kinduct provides us with highly relevant data in a quick and efficient manner so that we can individualize player programming which is essential to adapting their workload to maximize health and performance throughout the season,” added Leo.

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Kinduct gives the Twins a centralized platform to collect, share, monitor and measure health, wellness and player performance data. Kinduct Technologies include performance, health, clinic and fitness solutions. The performance aspect of Kinduct allows coaches to collect any type of data, whether it is fitness testing or wearables, in order to get a full picture of the athletes’ ability. Kinduct Health helps collect and organize patient information on one platform. Like the health tab, the clinic tab allows users to share all their health information. And finally, Kinduct Fitness lets users make the best decisions to hopefully reach an athlete’s goal. “Of course the overarching goal is to win more games by keeping athletes healthy and playing at their best,” Travis McDonough, Kinduct CEO and founder said. “We look forward to working together with all levels of the Twins organization as we continue our combined pursuit of defining the science of winning.” Twins' Mauer finally healthy, working to return to form

Brian Murphy | Pioneer Press | February 23, 2016 INVER GROVES HEIGHTS, Minn. — Getting to Joe Mauer’s private gym at Mauer Chevrolet is a workout in itself. The path leads through the Inver Grove Heights showroom, past the parts and services garage before one climbs a steel staircase, walks down a storage corridor and comes to a closet door. On the other side, the Minnesota Twins’ veteran first baseman and his strength coach, Roger Erickson, are into their Thursday regimen. The makeshift room is the size of a studio apartment. There are mirrored walls, plus a handful of scattered weight machines and benches. Country music plays softly on a stereo. The room temperature is cranked high. This is where Mauer has spent each week since mid-November, grinding through stretching and conditioning drills that helped him play a career-high 158 games in 2015 following several seasons short-circuited by leg injuries and concussions. “Last year was a good year for me as far as staying healthy,” he said. “It’s more maintenance to retain that flexibility. “In 2011, I rushed back from knee surgery and that led to a lot of problems that didn’t allow me to work on strengthening my legs. I’m excited this offseason that I’ve been able to make strides with that.” Mauer, 32, says he feels stronger and healthier than he has in six years. He expects to report to spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., next week at about 230 pounds, slightly heavier but less bulky than he has been. “A different 230 this year,” he said. Priority No. 1 is eradicating blurred vision that occasionally hampered his ability to track pitches after Mauer suffered a concussion in August 2013 that ended his catching career. He plans to experiment with sunglasses early in camp to help cut down on glare. “I don’t want that to be kind of an excuse. If I’m out there, I’m out there. That’s just the way I am,” Mauer said. “There are times I’ve gone up to the plate and I just couldn’t pick up the ball. That’s part of the frustration because I’m trying to do everything I can to get back. It just takes time.” Mauer has been symptom-free during three months of offseason workouts, which include hitting soft toss in the batting cage. He is optimistic neck and eye exercises Erickson designed will provide consistent relief. The real test comes when Mauer faces live pitching again. “I’ve been really happy with where I’m at and excited to get better and better,” he said last week. This is a pivotal season for Mauer to prove whether 2014-15 were anomalies or should expectations be recalibrated. Mauer hit .324 and won the Silver Slugger award for catchers in his abbreviated 2013 season. The 2009 American League most valuable player was on a hall of fame path before his concussion.

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Since then, Mauer has hit 50 points below his career average. His slugging and on-base percentages have plummeted while his strikeouts soared. Mauer was renowned for opposite-field power and spraying hits, but defensive shifts have shrunken those holes. Moreover, the hitter who famously never struck out during his high school career at Cretin-Derham Hall, who averaged just 46 strikeouts his first eight seasons, fanned a career-high 112 times in 2015. “The one thing he did last year that I didn’t anticipate — he struck out a lot,” Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. “I didn’t expect to see him strike out that frequently. Now, hopefully, he’ll adjust.” Is it reasonable to expect Mauer to hit .300 again or hit at least 15 home runs? “When I look at Joe Mauer, I still see such a great swing that he can still be one of the best hitters in baseball,” said MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds. “The older you get, you have to maintain your health so you’re not getting beat on fastballs and can still put the ball in play. “It’s a shame injuries moved him from being a catcher. It’s changed the perception of who he was. To be at first base and not have the production there, that’s the national knock on Joe Mauer. It’s hard to have a first baseman with less than double-digit home runs.” Mauer believes sluggers like right fielder Miguel Sano and newly acquired South Korean designated hitter Byung Ho Park will protect him more in the batting order. He also has full faith in Erickson, the former Cretin-Derham Hall coach who worked with the Baltimore Ravens during their 2012 Super Bowl season. “His track record speaks for itself,” Mauer said. “I know he trained Matt Birk and Corbin Lacina. Matt played 15 years in the NFL. A light bulb went on and I figured I had to see what this was about. From the first meeting I had with Roger, I walked out of that feeling so much better. “I don’t think I was addressing minor problems well,” he added. “By focusing on strength and flexibility, I was able to play through a lot of things, and hopefully that allows me to play longer.” Mauer spends 90 minutes stretching before batting practice and another hour on postgame maintenance. “It’s not the big things, it’s the little things you can do daily,” Erickson said. “That’s hard to do. Joe’s perfect for that. You tell him something and he does it. “Three years ago we were dealing with his concussion. Last year we had a full offseason and made some pretty big gains. This year we started with no dings at all. He’s gotten so much stronger this offseason.” Mauer is a shrewd and deceptively fast base runner who has transformed himself into a solid first baseman. But he is getting paid $23 million a year to produce big numbers at the plate. Mauer is confident he can regain his hitting prowess. The Twins expect it. “We’re looking for more,” Ryan said. “He’s got the ability to drive in more runs, more doubles, hit for a higher average. He had a (2015 season in which) you could at least depend on him being available. He didn’t have the type of year he was anticipating, and I would say we’re looking forward to a bounce-back year.” Twins' Molitor balks at naming Opening Day starting pitcher

Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | February 22, 2016 FORT MYERS, Fla. — On Day One of his first spring training last spring, Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor revealed Phil Hughes would be his Opening Day starter. This year, Molitor is taking a more measured approach. “I don’t mind doing that when it’s a slam dunk, but I’m not sure we’re quite at that point yet,” Molitor said. “We kind of have a general plan in mind, but we’re not at a point where we feel comfortable locking that in. It’s good to have options.”

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In addition to Hughes, who has impressed the coaching staff with his conditioning, the Twins also have fellow right-handers Ervin Santana and Kyle Gibson to consider for the honor on April 4 at Baltimore. Relief pitcher Burdi adds splitter to arsenal Already blessed with a triple-digit fastball and a low-90s slider, Nick Burdi is set to add another weapon to his arsenal. The Twins’ fireballing relief prospect threw a handful of split-finger fastballs during Monday’s bullpen session. The right-hander has messed around with the pitch since he was in high school but has never thrown it in a game. That could change after experiencing good results with the splitter during winter workouts back home in the Chicago suburbs. “We’ll see what happens,” Burdi said. “I can control it better than my changeup. It’s definitely a harder action. For a hitter, I feel like it’s going to be a little tougher to pick up.” When thrown properly, Burdi said, his splitter should come in at 82-83 mph. That’s nearly 20 mph slower than his fastball, although he has been concentrating on the two-seam (or sinking) fastball since an impressive turn in the Arizona Fall League. Burdi, 23, tossed 13 scoreless innings for Scottsdale in the AFL, striking out 17. He is a long shot to make the Twins’ bullpen out of spring training, but the former second-round pick and Louisville star could push for a role by midseason. “I’m just getting that foundation laid out,” Burdi said, “and be ready to go when the games start up.” Interpreter on board One of the first things Byung Ho Park did upon arriving in the Twins’ clubhouse on Monday morning was walk across the room and introduce himself to Ervin Santana. Trailing Park as he made his way around the room was new interpreter J.D. Kim, a 35-year-old resident of South Korea who has lived in Maryland for several years and spent a year in Los Angeles. Kim formerly served as the interpreter for the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization. Park and his representative, Alan Nero, selected Kim with Twins approval. A two-month transitional overlap is customary so Jae Woong Han, Octagon’s client manager, can help train Kim. The Twins are contractually bound to pay $50,000 toward Kim’s salary each season. Location, location... Twins equipment manager Rod McCormick and his staff take great care in deciding where to position lockers in the overstuffed spring clubhouse. Among the notable placements this spring are a de facto triple locker for Joe Mauer in the corner just outside McCormick’s office. Torii Hunter was in that spot last year. Briefly Miguel Sano, making the transition to right field, is likely to see more action than normal this spring so he can get more defensive repetitions, Molitor said. That could mean more bus trips to road games for the 22-year-old slugger. -- LaTroy Hawkins, who pitched for 11 big-league teams after the Twins drafted him in 1991, is in camp as a special instructor. -- The Twins’ overall health is as good as it’s been in years heading into spring camp, Molitor said, relaying a comment from general manager Terry Ryan. Only lefty reliever Mason Melotakis, who has yet to see game action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2014, must be closely monitored. -- Danny Santana said Ryan told him to concentrate on playing the outfield this spring. Santana, who broke in as an outfielder in 2014, saw plenty of action in both center and right field in the Dominican Winter League and played more second base than shortstop.

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Twins' Molitor looking forward to second season as the boss Maureen Mullen | Associated Press | February 22, 2016 FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — On Tuesday night, Twins manager Paul Molitor caught Bruce Springsteen's concert across the state in Sunrise, Florida. Molitor and the Boss have developed, if not a friendship, a mutual respect since meeting at Yankee Stadium in 1998, Molitor's final season as player, wrapping up his 21-year career. The pair of Hall of Famers in their respective careers chatted before the show. It gave Molitor a chance to be in what his wife calls one of his happier places. There are precious few opportunities for a major league manager for those kinds of leisurely nights from now until the end of the season. But, with Twins pitchers and catchers reporting Monday, Molitor hopes his second season as a manager will lead him to another one of those happier places — the postseason. The Twins narrowly missed out last season, finishing 83-79 in second place in the American League Central, three games out of a wild-card spot. They were in the hunt until the final weekend. A respectable finish, but not the one he wanted. "It kind of left a bad taste in my mouth," Molitor said. "But I'm looking at the new year as a new challenge. I understand that there are some things that can carry over, especially as experience is gained by staff and players. "But I certainly don't assume that you just are naturally going to improve, because every year kind of stands on its own." Molitor, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004, had never managed at any level before taking over the Twins last season. "I had a lot of fun," he said. "And I mention that because I think until you do something you're not sure how well it's going to fit, either how you think or how it's going to be challenging and how you're going to handle the day-to-day expectations that come with the position. "So I enjoyed it. It was educational. I think that you kind of develop a newfound respect for people who have done it, especially people who have done it for a long time. "There's different things you need to know in this role that you didn't need to know in other roles. And sometimes you feel humbled." Molitor, who grew up in St. Paul and was drafted out of the University of Minnesota by the Brewers with the third overall pick in 1977, played the final three years of his career with the Twins. He began his coaching career in 2001 with the Twins as bench coach for Tom Kelly. He had also been a scout and a special assistant, a roving coach for the organization's minor league teams, and a coach for Ron Gardenhire, the man he replaced last season. General manager Terry Ryan had no qualms handing the manager's job to Molitor and has watched him grow into the role. "The main piece to this thing is he's been around for about a decade in our minor leagues," Ryan said. "So it wasn't all that difficult to think with his baseball history and his experience as a player and his experience as a hitting coach and a minor league rover and his knowledge of the market and living in Minnesota — he knows all about us. It fit pretty well obviously and he did a heckuva job. "He's about as good a baseball man as I've ever been around." It didn't take the GM long to know he had made the right decision. The Twins struggled early last season, going 1-7 before three consecutive wins. "Nobody really cracked," Ryan said. "That was a pretty good sign that he had control, 'Listen, don't panic. We're in the first week to 10 days of the season.' He was calm and he was patient and he had a plan and approach and all the stuff that comes with leadership."

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Now, with a year of experience, Molitor is looking forward to getting the season started. "I would like us to set a goal of playing extended baseball in the fall," he said. "I'm looking forward to the challenge that we have now that we have a little bit more expectations on our team at least from our fan base and people in our organization. "I still see that we're not picked to do very well by a lot of people. But I'm looking forward to the challenge of trying to push us to the next level." Early Sunday morning, one of Molitor's coaches poked his head into the manager's office. "Hi, boss," he said. For now, that's Molitor's title. The other guy will have to wait. BATTER UP: SPRING TRAINING IN FORT MYERS

Stephen Brown | Naples Illustrated | February 22, 2016 Spring is here and so are the swings as the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins take the field for Spring Training. A tradition more than 100 years in the making, players—and fans—have been flocking to stadiums and facilities throughout the Sunshine State in late February and on through March in preparation of the grueling 162-game MLB season. Known as the Grapefruit League, fifteen teams call Florida their spring training home, with the Twins and BoSox taking up residence in Fort Myers’ CenturyLink Sports Complex (home to Hammond Stadium) and JetBlue Park at Fenway South respectively. Team rosters balloon during the spring sessions, with minor leaguers joining and the returning 40-man roster players for workouts, tryouts, rehab, and all around warm-up for the season to come. Not just a chance for players to get in game shape in a sunny, accommodating clime, spring training allows for fans to watch the teams not just play exhibition games, but watch workouts and practices at the stadium facility’s auxiliary fields. With unprecedented close access, fans can check out the new prospects, get an autograph or two, and even have a brief conversation with players. The Minnesota Twins will hold their first workouts on February 27, with its first game on March 2 at the Red Sox—first home game on March 3 vs. Red Sox. The Twins’ season came down to the wire last year, narrowly missing out on the post season in the last week of the season. Manager Paul Molitor’s debut season, the Twin City squad over-achieved last year, finishing with a respectful 83-79 record. Hopes are the squad can catch lightning in a bottle in 2016, doing as other small-market teams in their division have done in years past, and make a deep run in October. Players to watch: The Twins’ biggest offseason acquisition this offseason was South Korean slugger Byung Ho Park. The first baseman is making his first foray into the majors stateside, which is sure to have a learning curve. Spring training will be a vital time for Park to work with Twins training staff, making batting practice must-see for the diehard fan. After returning to the Twins in 2015, outfielder Torii Hunter has decided to hang them up, capping what is surely a Hall-of-Fame career in a Twins’ uniform. Filling the void Hunter will leave in the outfield will be Miguel Sanó. Debuting with the Twins in 2015 as designated hitter, Sanó has been with the club since he was 16 years old, signing with them in 2009. The Dominican slugger, whose natural position is third base, will be filling big shoes this season, with spring training acting as his trial by fire. Twins’ high-priced star Joe Mauer recently opened up to Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press, saying that persistent concussion symptoms have created blurred vision these past two seasons, hampering his at bats. Keep an eye on Mauer this spring raining, who attributed sunlight to be a big key to his vision issues—the Sunshine State should offer some decent proving grounds for Mauer spring. Mark your calendar: On March 8, the St. Louis Cardinals will be making the trek to Fort Myers. A split squad matchup, expect the veteran starters to stick around while the rest of the team heads to Dunedin for a game against the Blue Jays. For the 9-to-5 set, there is just one 7:05 p.m. game. Scheduled on March 16, the Red Sox will head to Hammond Stadium for one of the hottest tickets of

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Spring Training. Speaking of Blue Jays, on March 30, the ALDS champs will be coming to Fort Myers for the Twins second to last Spring Training game. Spring Training wraps with a crosstown showdown with the Red Sox at Hammond Stadium on March 31. For the Minnesota Twins’ complete schedule and tickets, click here. Tips for going to a game: Expect hard-to-find parking, especially for sell-out games. There are large fields for general parking east and west of the stadium. When full, overflow parking can be found south of Canvas Alley. Parking costs $10 per day in the parking lots around the stadium. Bring cash to purchase beer or Cracker Jacks from a roaming vendor in the stand. Wear a hat for sun protection. Fans dole out economy boost during spring training

WINK News| February 22, 2016 FORT MYERS, Fla. – Fans visiting Fort Myers for baseball spring training generate $26 million in six weeks, according to the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce. Just a week away from the first spring season game between the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins, a group of friends said they have been waiting for months to visit Fort Myers and Hammond Stadium. “We take about four months in planning this trip. We come down for about 10 days,” said Minnesota Twins fan Randell Farley. Their trip includes money for hotel stays, gas and memorabilia. They said they collect jerseys, cards and aim to get athletes’ signatures and pictures taken. Most of their activities cost money “We usually spend between two to three thousand dollars for 10 days,” Farley said. “But we don’t do it for the value. We do it for the fun.” Farley’s willingness to spend money in Southwest Florida mirrors the economical impact spring training has in a short amount of time. “I spend more money than anything I have is probably worth but it’s the fun of the chase and just getting the autograph,” he said. On Monday, the Twins’ first day of spring training, the fans said they got more than 75 autographs . “The Twins are really a fan-friendly camp and we really enjoy coming out here and it’s the sunshine. We’re enjoying everything about it,” Farley said. The Minnesota Twins’s full squad practice begins Friday. TIL: Twins lineup card is a clean sheet in Paul Molitor’s eyes

Derek Wetmore | 1500 ESPN | February 22, 2016 FORT MYERS, Fla. – Throughout the course of a day on the Twins beat, there are probably dozens of things worth knowing. Sometimes it’s new information, other times it’s an evolving understanding of information that had already been out there. I borrowed the concept for this notebook from Reddit, which I think might actually be the front page of the internet. There’s a thread – a subreddit, for the initiated – in which people can post things learned that day: Today I Learned. So I figured that rather than stashing a dozen nuggets in a notebook only to burn that notebook in a bonfire ritual months hence, I’ll try to run one of these notebook-style columns periodically. —

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Today, the first day of spring training workouts for Twins pitchers and catchers, I Learned that Paul Molitor views his lineup as still coming together. The parts are mostly known, sure, but where certain players will hit in the order has yet to be determined, the manager said. “I’m not even close to that and it’s not because I haven’t thought about it,” Molitor said when asked if he had a lineup in mind. His elaboration should take care of the first part of this TIL post: “It’s kind of nice that we kind of have an idea of who we want to play but the fact that… –“Byron [Buxton] is going to be a component that will evolve how that thing takes shape. –“Byung Ho [Park] is going to be a component, we have to see where he’s at and how much he’s going to play. Is he going to be an everyday guy right out of the chute or are we going to have to pick matchups while he transitions? –“Brian Dozier is a guy you want at the top of the lineup. I’m not sure where he fits best. It’s not really a leadoff approach, it’s not really a two-hitter approach, it’s not really a three-hitter approach. But his body of work produces runs. So I have to try to figure out how that’s going to play out. –“And Joe [Mauer], just the other things about how they’re going to fall into place. As it goes here, it’s going to be get them at-bats early and then try to shape it as we see people start to produce and perform and we have to come down to what we’re going to do when we get up to Baltimore,” Molitor said. That was one train of thought from Molitor, but I split it up here for aesthetics. Molitor also said that Mauer is a top-of-the-lineup guy, but that he hasn’t thought about batting the first baseman in the leadoff spot. If I had to guess I’d expect Mauer will hit either second or third in the Twins lineup. — To the rest of the notes… –Casey Fien’s wife is due to give birth to the couple’s second child any day now. Or, as the Twins reliever put it, “any minute.” –Byron Buxton said he added six pounds. He looks stronger but he’s still incredibly lean. –John Ryan Murphy said he hasn’t been told if he’ll be a starter or a backup, but the Twins’ biggest trade acquisition of the winter said that for now, he just views incumbent starter Kurt Suzuki as his teammate, not as his competition. –Trevor May said he spent time at the chiropractor this offseason, and he thinks several alignment issues could have played a role in minor injuries a season ago. Whether he’s a starter or reliever remains to be seen this spring, but no matter the role he fills, May figures to have his spine properly aligned. –Miguel Sano came and went from Fort Myers in the past couple weeks to visit his family in the Dominican Republic. He said he was dealing with an urgent family medical situation, but that everything is fine now. –Phil Hughes lost between 15 and 17 pounds by starting his offseason workouts right away, and working with a pair of trainers, including one former Yankees employee who flew in from New York for consultations. –Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton will get plenty of plate appearances this spring, according to Paul Molitor. Sano will get some extra time so he can work on his transition to the outfield, and Buxton could use the extra seasoning as he works on getting his bat Major-League ready.

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Former Yankee John Ryan Murphy takes to Minnesota Twins

David Dorsey | News Press | February 22, 2016 John Ryan Murphy, one of the newest members of the Minnesota Twins, still gets to have spring training close to home. His family will just have to drive south instead of north from Bradenton. Murphy, 24, joined the Twins in an offseason trade with the New York Yankees, who have their spring training home in Tampa. On Nov. 11, the Twins sent outfielder Aaron Hicks, a first-round pick by the Twins in 2008 and a member of the Fort Myers Miracle in 2011, to the Yankees for Murphy, a catcher. Murphy and the Twins pitchers and catchers had their first official workout Monday at CenturyLink Sports Complex. The trade solved two problems for the Twins: relieving a glut of outfielders that now includes converted third baseman Miguel Sano, and the organization's lack of depth at catcher. “Initially, I was shocked,” Murphy said of the trade. “I didn’t know it was going to happen. The more I thought about it the more excited I got about it. “I didn’t know much about the organization coming in. After Twins Fest, I was able to get to know a lot of the guys, and I was able to watch a lot of video.” The Twins knew plenty about Murphy. The Twins had gathered extensive knowledge of Murphy when he played high school baseball at Bradenton Pendleton, but the Yankees beat the Twins to him, choosing Murphy in the second round of the 2009 draft. Murphy recalled playing in Fort Myers while in high school at Terry Park in the Bud Roth Memorial tournament hosted by Bishop Verot. Murphy also has played at Hammond Stadium against the Miracle as a member of the Tampa Bay Yankees. “I’m trying to forget the Florida State League,” Murphy said with a smile. One thing Murphy can’t forget: Being the last player to catch New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who retired after the 2013 season, the year Murphy made his big-league debut with his first 16 games. “Often,” Murphy said of how often he gets asked about Rivera’s last game. “Very often. It’s probably one of the most popular questions I get. “That was special. I didn’t really expect to be out there in that magnitude of a moment. But I was. I was really fortunate. I don’t think I really realized what was going on as it was happening.” Murphy backed up Yankees starter Brian McCann last season. Murphy appeared in 67 big-league games, hitting .277 (43-for-155) with three home runs and 14 RBI. “He caught me in spring training over there, and we’ve already had some bullpens,” said Twins starting pitcher Phil Hughes, whose time with the Yankees overlapped with that of Murphy in 2009-13. “So I’m already familiar with him.” Hughes said he was excited when he learned Murphy would be his teammate again. “He’s good behind the plate,” Hughes said. “His bat is kind of a bonus. "He takes a lot of pride in knowing the pitchers. We needed more depth back there at catcher.” Murphy said he would rely on incumbent starter Kurt Suzuki and his new catching teammates as he moved forward with the Twins. One of his first tasks has been learning the names of his teammates. “I’ve got a lot of learning to do,” Murphy said, “and I’m excited to learn.” Connect with this reporter: David Dorsey (Facebook), @DavidADorsey (Twitter). Spring training workouts

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Boston Red Sox: Pitchers and catchers begin at about 9 a.m. and finish around noon. Admission to Fenway South complex is free. Position players report Tuesday and have their first full-squad workout Wednesday. Minnesota Twins: Pitchers and catchers begin at about 9 a.m. and finish around noon. Admission to CenturyLink Sports Complex is free. Position players report Saturday and have their first full-squad workout Sunday.