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Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Saturday, February 25, 2017

 Mauer, Dozier will ease into spring games. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 1  Park steps up in first spring action. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 2  Gibson's new routine pays early dividends. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 2  Gibson, Park stand out in Twins' opener. MLB.com (Bollinger/Chastain) p. 3  Don't count Ben Paulsen out of Twins' DH/first base mix. Star Tribune (Miller) p. 4  Kyle Gibson pleased with scoreless outing in Twins opener. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 5  With two hits, Byung Ho Park gets off to a good start this spring with Twins. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 5  The spin’s the thing: Twins Craig Breslow uses tech to reboot career. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 6  Kyle Gibson tries out new delivery in Twins spring opener. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 8  Funeral arrangements set for sportscaster Rod Simons. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 9  Michael Cuddyer making an impact in first camp as Twins instructor. Pioneer Press (Berardino) p. 9  Report: Twins made a ‘brief play’ for Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias this winter. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 11

Mauer, Dozier will ease into spring games Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | February 24, 2017

First baseman Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier were both held out of the starting lineup for the Twins' Grapefruit League opener against the Rays on Friday. Mauer isn't expected to play until Wednesday against the Pirates, while Dozier is slated to make his debut on Sunday against the Nationals.

Neither is injured, but Twins manager Paul Molitor said he's easing them into games early this spring because Spring Training is longer this year with the World Classic.

"Trying to do the right thing," Molitor said. "Starting early, that was part of my approach to Joe, in that I'm not in a hurry to get him out there given the fact April 1 will be [36] days from now or whatever it is."

Molitor added that Mauer, a 13-year veteran, knows what he needs to do to get ready for the season and that he'll play more toward the end of Spring Training to get ready for , April 3 against the Royals at .

"Joe's a lot about ramping up, as opposed to needing 60 or 70 at-bats, at least that's my impression," Molitor said. "I think he kind of thinks that's true, too. There's not a lot of guys here that I somewhat at least temporarily have an idea of what games they're going to play throughout the spring."

Molitor said the only three players he met with about their playing time this spring were Mauer, Dozier and Jason Castro. Castro was behind the plate on Friday night, but the Twins also want to get a look at John Ryan Murphy, Chris Gimenez and Mitch Garver, who are competing to be the backup catcher.

Castro, who signed a three-year, $24.5 million deal with the Twins in the offseason, told Molitor he likes to get 40 to 50 at-bats during Spring Training, but Molitor said the tricky part is that Castro is also trying to learn the .

"Obviously, a difference this year is that familiarity," Molitor said. "We're trying to get him exposed to as many pitchers as we can and focus more on starters than relievers along the way. It's going to be part of how and when to play him."

Worth noting

• Left-handed reliever Mason Melotakis, who has been sidelined by an oblique strain, has shown improvement, but still isn't ready to resuming throwing, according to Thad Levine. He's day to day.

• Closer Glen Perkins continues to report feeling good and is progressing, Levine said. Perkins, coming off labrum surgery, has thrown three bullpen sessions of 15 pitches each. He'll continue to throw every fourth day.

Park steps up in first spring action Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | February 24, 2017

After being designated for assignment on Feb. 3 and subsequently not getting selected on waivers, Byungho Park knows how much this spring could mean for his future.

Although Park isn't on the Twins' 40-man roster, he's getting a long look this spring to be the club's everyday designated hitter, competing with Kennys Vargas and fellow non-roster invitee Ben Paulsen. Park made a strong opening statement in Minnesota's Grapefruit League opener, a 3- 1 loss to the Rays on Friday night, going 2-for-2 with a off the wall in right field.

"I know that these Spring Training games are very important for me," Park said through a translator. "I put a lot of work in. I'm putting a lot of effort in every time I'm in the lineup."

The results were also encouraging for another reason, as both hits came on 93- mph . Park's hard- single up the middle came on an inside two-seam from Rays right-hander Austin Pruitt, and his double off the right-field wall came on an outside four-seamer from right- hander Jacob Faria.

"I've prepared for the fastball and focused on specific things," Park said. "It looks like it's working well. I'm very confident. I really hope my change works in this highest level of baseball."

Twins manager Paul Molitor came away impressed by Park's plate discipline, laying off inside fastballs, to get pitches to hit.

"He's a guy who is more confident and has adapted more the second time around," Molitor said. "One game isn't too much to get overly excited about, but we're going to build him up."

Gibson's new routine pays early dividends Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | February 24, 2017

Right-hander Kyle Gibson, who drastically changed his workout routine this offseason to improve his delivery, came away pleased with how everything felt in his Grapefruit League debut in the Twins' opener on Friday night at , a 3-1 loss to the Rays.

Gibson looked sharp, hitting 94 mph with his fastball multiple times as he tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings with two , throwing 22 of his 29 pitches for strikes. But more than the results, Gibson was happy that his new routine, which includes throwing with weighted balls and a balloon-shaped ball called a connection ball, led to him feeling better on the mound.

"My arm feels good and I was able to take some stress off my back," Gibson said. "When you get into game speed and the hitter is up there trying to get a hit, you tend to forget things you have been working on. I feel like I stayed with that delivery as much as I could and had very few pitches where I felt like I came out of it. It gave me confidence and will help me going forward."

Gibson ran into trouble in the first, giving up a leadoff double to Tim Beckham, but he pitched his way out of the jam with strikeouts of Daniel Robertson on a 94-mph sinker and Corey Dickerson on a 91-mph sinker.

Gibson was hurt by his defense in the second, when he induced a routine grounder to short for what should have been the final out of the inning, but Jorge Polanco's throw in the dirt to first wasn't handled by Kennys Vargas for an error charged to Polanco. Gibson gave up a single to Shane Peterson and was removed for Drew Rucinski, who struck out Johnny Field to end the inning.

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It was also Gibson's first time working with catcher Jason Castro in a game setting, and he came away impressed by Castro's pitch-calling and receiving skills.

"I think the only time I shook him is when he called when I wanted a heater -- and it was actually the last guy who got the hit," Gibson said with a laugh. "I'm learning quickly not to shake him off. He was good. Good target back there. Obviously has a good awareness of the game."

Gibson, Park stand out in Twins' opener Rhett Bollinger, Bill Chastain | MLB.com | February 24, 2017

Shortstop Tim Beckham, competing for a utility role, doubled and tripled to help lead the Rays to a 3-1 win over the Twins in the Grapefruit League opener for both teams Friday night at Hammond Stadium.

Byungho Park paced the offense for Minnesota, going 2-for-2 with a double off the right-field wall. Park, who was designated for assignment shortly before Spring Training, is competing with Kennys Vargas and Ben Paulsen to be the Twins' designated hitter.

Beckham led off the game with a double and tripled to lead off the third inning. He came around to score in the third on an RBI single from Daniel Robertson off Twins reliever Brandon Kintzler.

"Beck looked awesome," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Happy for [Rays starter Austin] Pruitt, the way his outing went. ... Good to get it going."

Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, while Pruitt got the start for the Rays and threw two scoreless frames with three strikeouts.

"I threw a lot of four-seamers tonight, and worked on the sinker a little bit with the new delivery, especially to the glove side," Gibson said.

"Other than that, it was pretty good. Was able to attack with the fastball and was able to get ahead, for the most part. When I got behind, I was able to locate and get back into counts."

The Rays scored their second in the sixth against pick Justin Haley. Curt Casali started the rally with a leadoff double and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Shane Peterson after a single from Luke Maile.

Right-hander Jacob Faria was also impressive for Tampa Bay, striking out three over two scoreless innings. The lone hit he gave up was the double to Park in the fourth.

After the Rays got an RBI double from Patrick Leonard in the ninth against reliever Michael Tonkin, who is competing for a spot in Minnesota's bullpen, the Twins cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning on a groundout by Benji Gonzalez.

What's next

Rays: The Rays open their home Grapefruit League schedule on Saturday afternoon in a 1:05 ET contest at Charlotte Sports Park. David Carpenter will get the start, with Dana Eveland, Danny Farquhar, Cory Rasmus, Justin Marks, Jaime Schultz, Neil Wagner and Taylor Guerrieri also scheduled to pitch. Josh Lindblom will start for the Pirates. Fans can listen to this game live on Gameday Audio.

Twins: The Twins head down the street to play the Red Sox on Saturday at 12:05 p.m. CT at JetBlue Park. Right-hander Phil Hughes, who is coming off surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome, is slated to make his first start of the spring. Other pitchers scheduled to throw include Tyler Duffey, Ryan Vogelsong, Adalberto Mejia, Ryan Pressly, Ryan O'Rourke, J.T. Chargois and Alex Wimmers. Duffey, Vogelsong and Mejia are expected to get stretched out this spring to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation with other candidates such as Jose Berrios and Trevor May. This game will be available live on MLB.TV.

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Don't count Ben Paulsen out of Twins' DH/first base mix Phil Miller | Star Tribune | February 25, 2017

When Ben Paulsen was coming up through the minor leagues in the system, he knew his position was already occupied by Todd Helton, a five-time All-Star. When Paulsen finally reached the majors in 2014, Justin Morneau, a former MVP and NL batting champion was playing first base.

Now he is trying to make the Twins, a team that has $23 million a season invested in its own former MVP and batting champion at first base, Joe Mauer.

Maybe he should be nicknamed “Roadblock” Paulsen.

Yet the thickly bearded , who was born in Plymouth, Wis., but grew up in the Atlanta area, insists he chose Minnesota during the offseason because the Twins represent “opportunity.”

“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing behind, you’ve still got the ability to earn a spot and help the team. Every time you wear the uniform, you’ve got an opportunity,” said Paulsen, a third-round pick in the 2009 draft out of Clemson. “I wouldn’t say [I’ve been] blocked — I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of great first basemen who have helped me.”

Now the Twins are investigating whether the 29-year-old Paulsen can help them. Byung Ho Park and Kennys Vargas are the acknowledged leading candidates for a role as the designated hitter and Mauer’s backup at first base, but when that was mentioned to Twins manager Paul Molitorlast weekend, he quickly interjected, “I wouldn’t take Paulsen out of that [competition].”

With good reason. The lefthanded-hitting Paulsen has played 186 games in the major leagues, more than either Vargas or Park, and his career .762 OPS (on-base plus slugging) is higher than both. Paulsen’s numbers might be marginally boosted by playing in Colorado’s Coors Field, but his OPS on the road is better than either of his competitors’, too.

“He’s a bright guy with such a good baseball IQ,” said new Twins reliever Matt Belisle, a Rockies teammate of Paulsen’s in 2014. That IQ may be in the genes; Paulsen is the son of Winthrop University baseball coach Tom Riginos.

“His swing has really developed,” Belisle said. “I told him the other day, I thought he looked really good in the box. He’s a good low-ball hitter. He always seems to be able to throw his hands out there and rope it.”

His manager has noticed, too.

“I’ve found him to be an interesting character. Kind of quiet, but our conversations have been good,” Molitor said. “I know he’s done some things in the game at this level, from the lefthand side.”

Actually, he was projected to be Colorado’s first baseman of the future since the day he was drafted, and when Morneau suffered a neck injury and a concussion in 2015, Paulsen appeared to be stepping into that role. He was batting .300 a week into August, and making all the plays at first base.

“It was one of those situations where you hate for a guy to get hurt, but you’ve got to be ready,” said Paulsen, who finished the season with a .277 average, 11 home runs and frontrunner status for a starter’s job on Colorado’s depth chart for 2016.

It never happened. Colorado signed veteran Mark Reynolds, and Paulsen became a part-time player again. He was demoted to Class AAA in May and removed from the roster in September. But he wasn’t out of work for long.

“The Twins showed a lot of interest in me over the winter,” said Paulsen, who is also a former teammate of Twins special instructors Michael Cuddyer and LaTroy Hawkins. “They got me excited about coming here.”

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Kyle Gibson pleased with scoreless outing in Twins spring training opener La Velle Neal | Star Tribune | February 24, 2017

Kyle Gibson went to the mound on Friday with a new delivery and a new catcher.

And he came away pleased about both as he pitched 1⅔ scoreless innings during the Twins 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay in the spring training opener for both teams.

Gibson threw 29 pitches, throwing first pitch strikes to five of the eight batters he faced. He threw fastballs and , and realized he’s got some tinkering to do with his sinker to regain the movement that he accustomed to getting. But he’s pleased with how his arm responded after his first outing. He was removed after giving up a single on his final pitch.

“It feels a little bit easier, just getting some different momentum shifts,” Gibson said. “My arm feels good and I was able to take some stress off my back. Once you get into game speed and the hitter is up there trying to get a hit, you tend to forget things you have been working on. I feel like I stayed with that delivery as much as I did and have very few pitches where I felt like I came out of it.

“That gave me confidence and will help me going forward.”

As for Castro, Gibson said he’s faced him so much that he probably didn’t have to go over what pitches he likes to throw because the veteran probably already knew his gameplan.

“I think the only time I shook him off is when he called change up when I wanted a heater,” Gibson said. “And it was actually the last guy who got the hit. Learning quickly not to shake him off. He was good.”

The Rays scored in the third inning when on a RBI single by Daniel Robertson off of Brandon Kintzler. Rule 5 righthander Justin Haley gave up three hits and a run in the sixth. Righthander Michael Tonkin gave up a RBI double to Patrick Leonard in the ninth.

Matt Hague scored on a groundout in the ninth for the Twins’ only run.

With two hits, Byung Ho Park gets off to a good start this spring with Twins La Velle Neal | Star Tribune | February 25, 2017

If there’s anyone who needed a fresh start this spring training, it was Byung Ho Park.

He arrived to Twins camp last season with some fanfare and big expectations. But he slumped horribly, batted .191 in 62 games, was sent to the minors and had his season ended by hand surgery.

Park reported to camp this year with no fanfare. In the Twins’ Grapefruit League-opening 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay at Hammond Stadium on Friday night, he went 2-for-2 with a single to center off a sinker in the second and a double to left off a four-seam fastball in the fourth.

“I know that these spring training games are very important for me,” said Park, 30. “I put a lot of work in. I’m putting a lot of effort in every time I’m in the lineup.”

His hand is healthy. He’s spending a little less time in the batting cage but likes where his swing is at. He struggled with major league fastballs last season, began to start his swing sooner to try to hit them, then was done in by breaking balls. He went back to South Korea over the offseason and worked on adjustments.

“I really hope my change works in this highest level of baseball,” he said.

Losing a colleague

New Twins GM Thad Levine worked with Texas scout Jose Luis Felomina, who died from cancer Thursday at age 50.

Levine knew Felomina well from their days with the Rangers. Felomina was the Rangers scout in Curacao and was responsible for the signing of several players, including Texas infielder Jurickson Profar.

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“It is a tragedy,” Levine said of Felomina, who had been with the Rangers since 2008. “I believe in this instance that he is in a much better place. He had been battling cancer for the last few years.”

E6 not a good start

The Twins want to leave Fort Myers feeling good about Jorge Polanco as their shortstop. Friday wasn’t that day.

Rays catcher Luke Maile reached when Polanco’s throw from short skipped by Kennys Vargas at first for an error. Polanco made the stop on Maile’s grounder but appeared to hurry his throw. A good throw would have retired Maile easily.

Some in the organization believe Polanco is better suited at second base because of his arm strength. That’s not possible with Brian Dozier, the Twins’ best offensive player, there.

Etc.

• Molitor indicated that Dozier will make his spring training debut Sunday when the Twins play host to the Nationals.

• Former Twins GM , now a scout for the Phillies, was at Friday’s game.

• Dustin Morse, the Twins senior director of communications, is temporarily leaving the team Sunday to be the press officer for Team Netherlands during the World Baseball Classic. The Dutch open play on March 7.

• A moment of silence was held before the game for broadcaster Rod Simons, Twins pitching prospect Yorman Landa, Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and Tigers owner Mike Ilitch, who all died this offseason. Simons died Monday in Fort Myers while covering spring training.

On deck

Phil Hughes will take the mound Saturday as the Twins play the Red Sox at JetBlue Park. Lefthander Roenis Elias will start for the Red Sox.

The spin’s the thing: Twins pitcher Craig Breslow uses tech to reboot career Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | February 25, 2017

Some ballplayers spend their offseasons learning how to parasail or brew their own beer. Twins left-hander Craig Breslow spent his completely revamping his pitching motion with the help of a $3,000 device he found on the internet.

Produced by a company headquartered outside Indianapolis, the Rapsodo tracking device offers “pitch flight analysis in 3D like you’ve never seen before,” according to its website.

For another $500, Breslow was able to buy a one-year subscription to the Rapsodo cloud, which he could use to store video and data from 200 pitches per week during a painstaking process in which he essentially sought to make himself employable again.

Released out of -A by the last August, Breslow went home to the Boston area and “spent some time in introspection.”

A Yale graduate with a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, Breslow had amassed $12.6 million in career earnings over his 11 big- league seasons. Cut loose the day before his 36th birthday, essentially by mutual agreement, he spent the next two months seeking feedback from former teammates and opponents as well as coaches, scouts and front-office people.

“I tend to be pretty analytical,” Breslow said.

The basic message was simple: If you want to keep pitching, you need to dominate left-handed batters.

To do that, Breslow determined he would need to drastically improve the spin efficiency of his pitches, especially his and sinking fastball. His and changeup were still good enough, but the only way he could his career would be to revamp his delivery to boost his two primary pitches.

That likely meant lowering his arm slot from nearly overhead to what he describes as “low three-quarters.” Not quite sidearm, but in that 6 neighborhood.

Before even throwing a ball, he fired up his laptop and got to work analyzing the PITCHf/x data for what he termed “the best-in-class standards for certain pitches.” He chose to dig deep on the sinker of closer Zach Britton and the slider of reliever Andrew Miller.

Both lefties are considerably taller than Breslow, listed at 6 feet, and throw much harder, but he was more interested in the various shapes of their pitches, as measured by spin rate and movement, both horizontal and vertical.

The comparison wasn’t purely apples to apples because the TrackMan system in big-league parks measures such data points somewhat differently than Rapsodo, but it was a start. In particular, he was interested in his spin efficiency, defined as the amount of spin that contributes to movement, divided by total spin.

Merely spinning his slider at 3,000 rpm wouldn’t be enough, Breslow quickly realized. He would need to be more efficient than that to make lefty batters uncomfortable.

“There’s gyrospin or sidespin, which essentially is what keeps a football straight when you throw a spiral,” he said. “It turned out that overall I had pretty good spin numbers but I wasn’t spinning a ball very efficiently. By changing my slot, grip, finger pressure, I could increase the efficiency of the pitch until I got to my optimal breaking ball.”

By late September, Breslow started playing catch again. He worked out at Boston College and other venues near his home, gradually seeing how his pitches reacted by lowering his arm slot an inch here, another inch there.

First he established a baseline with his old arm slot. Setting up his Rapsodo near home plate and his iPad next to the mound, he was able to get instant feedback through a dashboard of eight pitch metrics.

Improvement came almost immediately. Breslow was encouraged.

By the time former teammate and offseason throwing partner Rich Hill came home from a playoff stint with the , Breslow had advanced enough that a mere game of catch left Hill intrigued.

“I don’t like playing catch with you,” Hill told him. “It’s not comfortable.”

That was due to the increased late movement on Breslow’s pitches. Weeks from signing a three-year, $48 million extension with the Dodgers, Hill got in his car after one such workout with Breslow and immediately called Dodgers executive Andrew Friedman.

“You need to look at this,” the independent-league survivor told Friedman.

By late January, Breslow was ready to throw for teams at an indoor facility. More than a dozen clubs sent scouts, including the Twins, who sent veteran evaluator Bill Mele over from nearby Pittsfield, Mass.

Breslow’s agents sent video to the Twins’ front office along with the Rapsodo data. While Jack Goin’s analytics department broke down the numbers, chief baseball officer spent hours on the phone talking with Breslow about his undertaking and potential fit with a young club coming off a 103-loss season.

Breslow received eight to 10 offers, including some that were more lucrative or offered a clearer path to the majors than the Twins could. He decided on a one-year minor-league deal with the Twins that would pay him $1.25 million in the majors with the chance to earn close to another $1 million through incentives.

The key was a mutual understanding that Breslow’s reinvention isn’t quite complete, but as long as it was trending well the Twins would find a way to keep him around. In a market where top situational lefties such as Brett Cecil now merit four-year, $30.5 million commitments, Breslow’s upside was too great to ignore.

“We’re getting close to the point where the experiment needs to end,” Breslow said. “It can’t be May, and I’m getting hit all over the place and I’m insisting that my Rapsodo data is great.”

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Kyle Gibson tries out new delivery in Twins spring opener Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | February 25, 2017

Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson rolled out his tweaked delivery in Friday night’s spring opener. Aside from a balky glove-side sinker, he was mostly pleased.

“(The delivery) feels a little bit easier, just getting some different momentum shifts,” Gibson said. “My arm feels really, really good, and I think it’s taking stress off my back too.”

Despite giving up a pair of hits, including a Tim Beckham double on his second pitch of the game, Gibson retired five of his eight batters and hit 94 mph with his four-seam fastball at least three times. He mixed in a half-dozen changeups but threw no sliders.

Gibson, coming off a disappointing 2016 that included seven weeks on the disabled list with a strained throwing shoulder, finished with 22 strikes out of 29 pitches. He started five of eight batters with strikes, induced four swing-and-miss strikes and had his outing shortened by 10 foul balls.

Entering his fifth big-league season, Gibson is two months into a new throwing program after visiting Randy Sullivan’s Florida Baseball Ranch in Plant City, Fla. Friday marked Gibson’s first time in game conditions since making the change.

“Once you get into game speed and the hitter’s up there trying to get a hit, sometimes you tend to forget about things you’ve been working on,” Gibson said. “To be able to feel like I stayed with that delivery as much as I did and to have very few pitches where I felt like I came out of it gave me some confidence and will help me going forward.”

PARK START

Byung Ho Park went 2 for 2 and doubled off the top of the right-field wall. Both hits came on 93-mph fastballs, which left him pleased.

“I know these spring training games are very important for me, so I gave every effort I could put in,” the South Korean slugger said through a translator, “and I will put in every effort every time I go in the lineup.”

Park looks stronger but claimed he didn’t know how much muscle he’d packed on this offseason following season-ending hand surgery last August.

“This is only the first game so I have to see what’s going to happen,” Park said. “I have prepared for the fastball and focused on specific things. It looks like it’s working well, so I’m very confident. I know the routine now and I feel much more comfortable.”

SCOUTING CHANGES

The Twins have added a pair of veteran scouts to their pro scouting staff.

In addition to Greg Orr, who spent the past 35 years scouting for the , the Twins have hired former advance scout Keith Stohr. A former manager and pitching coach in the Cape Cod League, Stohr had scouted for the Cubs since 2004.

Among his amateur signings are catcher Steve Clevenger, who reached the majors, and former Twins minor-league infielder Tony Thomas.

Vern Followell remains as pro scouting coordinator, but Wayne Krivsky has been demoted from special assistant to the general manager to major league scout. Krivsky, 63, is entering his 17th season with the Twins organization over the past two-plus decades, dating to 1994.

Formerly general manager of the (2006-08), Krivsky returned to the Twins in November 2011 as special assistant under Terry Ryan. Ryan was fired last July after three decades with the organization.

In addition, Earl Frishman was promoted from pro scout to special assignment scout

Besides the late Bill Harford, who died in early November, the rest of the Twins’ pro scouting staff returned intact: Ken Compton, Larry Corrigan, Bob Hegman, Mike Larson (international/pro), Bill Mele, Marty Miller, Bill Milos and Earl Winn.

SMITH HONORED 8

There was no ceremony or press release, but former Twins GM Bill Smith was honored twice in connection with his recent departure from the organization after 31 years.

A conference room was named in his honor last month at the new training academy the Twins will share with the in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic. Smith, whose contract was not renewed at the end of January, oversaw that project along with Twins official Dan Starkey.

More recently a Gulf Coast League field was named for Smith, who supervised construction of a similar academy and stadium upgrade at the Twins’ spring home. That two-year, $42.5 million project was completed in early 2015.

Smith, who served as Twins GM for four seasons from 2007-11, has yet to sign on with a new club.

DOZIER PLAN

Look for Twins second baseman Brian Dozier to make his spring debut on Sunday at home against the Nationals.

“I’m leaning Sunday,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “I asked him what it felt like coming in not playing. He said, ‘You know, it was kind of tough.’ “

Molitor delivered that last line in a raspy Southern accent, a convincing imitation of Dozier. Or was it Bill Clinton?

BRIEFLY

Closer Glen Perkins (shoulder surgery) has reported no issues through his first three bullpen sessions and continues to progress. … Lefty reliever Mason Melotakis (oblique) has “shown improvement,” GM Thad Levine said, but has yet to resume his throwing program. … Former Twins GM Terry Ryan was in attendance in his new capacity as a Philadelphia Phillies scout.

Funeral arrangements set for sportscaster Rod Simons Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | February 24, 2017

Funeral arrangements have been finalized for former Twin Cities sportscaster Rod Simons, who was found dead Monday while in town to cover spring training.

Simons, who was 56, will be buried in the Tri-Cities of Washington state, where he was raised and started his radio and television broadcasting career. A celebration of life service will take place in the Twin Cities in the near future.

According to a family spokesperson, Simons “died unexpectedly of natural causes.”

A public viewing will be held Feb. 27 from 5 to 8 p.m. Pacific time with rosary at 6 p.m. at Mueller’s Tri-Cities Funeral Home in Kennewick, Wash. A funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m., on Tuesday Feb. 28 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Pasco, Wash., with burial to follow at Desert Lawn Memorial Park in Kennewick.

Survived by Pam, his wife of 18 years, and their 11-year-old daughter Annie, Simons worked to support Forever Families through adoption. Donations in his honor may be made to the Rod Simons Golf for the Gift Memorial fund.

Michael Cuddyer making an impact in first camp as Twins instructor Mike Berardino | Pioneer Press | February 24, 2017

Sixteen months ago, Zack Granite gathered with his buddies back in Staten Island, N.Y., and watched the fall short in the World Series against the .

Mets Michael Cuddyer, playing in the Fall Classic for the first time after 15 seasons in the majors, struck out in his only three at-bats and retired that offseason.

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Even though he was raised a Yankees fan, Granite, the Twins’ 2016 minor league player of the year, remembers rooting for the Mets and Cuddyer.

“I was out watching it with a bunch of Met fans,” said Granite, a speedy outfielder. “Looking at this guy, I was like, ‘Wow, he’s playing in the World Series and everyone’s screaming at the TV,’ and now he’s coaching me. It’s actually a pretty cool experience.”

Newly minted as both a Twins hall of famer and special assistant to baseball operations, the 37-year-old Cuddyer is making his presence felt in his first exposure to coaching at the professional level.

That’s him, leaning against the back of the batting cage and sharing tips with young Twins hitters.

There he is again, pulling up a chair in the corner of the clubhouse and chatting easily with former teammate Joe Mauer as the 33-year-old first baseman does yet another round of stretches on the carpet. When a rainy Wednesday morning kept the Twins off the fields, Cuddyer and Torii Hunter, his fellow special assistant and Twins hall of famer, gathered in the indoor cages with new hitting coach James Rowson and more than two dozen position players.

The subject was offense in general, including how smart baserunning and opportunistic bunting can play a role in helping push runs across the plate.

“Torii and Michael gave their perspective,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “Guys that understood how all those things work together as well as anybody. I just let them run with it. I had to finally cut them off because it was time to go on to the next stage of the workout.”

While Hunter and LaTroy Hawkins, also a special assistant, were in spring camp last year, this is the first chance for Cuddyer to share his experiences in an official, uniformed, post-retirement capacity. As you might expect, his words have found a captive audience.

“When they speak, everyone shuts up,” Twins outfielder Robbie Grossman said. “There’s been a lot of listening, but also questions asked. We’re very lucky, very blessed to have these guys spend their time with us. Honestly, they could be doing whatever they wanted right now.”

Grossman remembers seeing ex-Twins slugger as a special instructor in Cleveland Indians camp last spring, but that was only for a week or so. During his prior years with the , Grossman had a chance to work with hall of famers Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, but they weren’t a daily presence in camp.

The way the Twins do it, Grossman said, is unique.

“This doesn’t happen anywhere else,” he said. “It’s refreshing to hear it from guys like them. Just little things about how they go about their business or how they do a certain thing. Just the little nuggets that you can pick up. They’ve got, what, 30-plus years of experience? That’s pretty special.”

While working on making throws from center field this week, Granite heard Cuddyer talk to the small group about “getting behind the ball” and offered up a question.

“I asked him, ‘So, what is the perfect positioning?’ “ Granite said.

The answer: “Everybody’s different. Everybody has their own ways of going about it.”

In a matter of 30 seconds, Cuddyer both set Granite at ease and empowered him to keep searching for the best way to make throws on potential outfield double plays.

“I’ve never heard that,” Granite said. “Everyone’s always like, ‘Oh, you have to catch it here and bring it down.’ He’s like, ‘Whatever feels comfortable to you.’ “

Hearing that from Cuddyer, a two-time all-star with more than 1,500 hits in the big leagues, only made the point sink in faster.

“I think an important part of playing the outfield is you’ve got to be comfortable with what you do,” Granite said. “We’re not machines out there. We’re people.”

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Report: Twins made a ‘brief play’ for Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias this winter Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | February 24, 2017

The Twins appeared in baseball’s rumor mill this winter most often for their part in trade discussions surrounding Brian Dozier.

One thing that didn’t come to light until recently: their reported interest in Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias.

Minnesota checked in on him this winter, according to a recent report from Jon Heyman, who writes that the Twins made a “brief play” for Iglesias. The Padres considered a trade as well, Heyman writes, but as we write this today, Iglesias remains a member of the Tigers.

Here’s an important disclaimer. Based on my understanding, my educated guess is that we in the public learn somewhere between 25% and 2% of all trade and free agent conversations that actually happen. It’s a void we often fill with speculation, but the important point to remember is that just because a leak gets out, it doesn’t mean it’s the only conversation with a player or team that happened.

So with that out of the way, I think this one is interesting.

Iglesias would fit with several other moves the Twins made this winter to try to improve defense. They claimed Ehire Adrianza, who looked set to report to Brewers camp as a non-roster invite. Now Adrianza might make the team as a backup – or starting – infielder. They signed Jason Castro to a three-year deal, in what represents the only significant financial contribution to try to improve the 103-loss club from a year ago.

I wonder, though, what this brief interest would have said about Jorge Polanco. Does this mean the new front office was trying to hedge its bets on Polanco becoming a capable everyday shortstop? Or would this have been a contingency plan if they wound up trading Dozier and moving Polanco to second base?

Another question we don’t have answered: How serious was their interest?

It’s totally possible the Twins were gauging the trade price for starting shortstops in the event that they’d need one following other moves. Iglesias, 27, is set to make $4.1 million this season.

Last year he hit .255/.306/.336 in 513 plate appearances for the Tigers. But the year before that he hit .300/.347/.370, so it’s possible getting him in a trade could have represented a nice buy-low opportunity.

Whatever the rationale behind the idea, the Twins apparently concluded they wouldn’t be buying low enough to make it worthwhile.

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