Minnesota Twins hated to lose Bobby Korecky

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Twins made their first cut of the spring Wednesday, but it's one they had hoped to avoid.

With a need to vacate a roster spot in order to formally sign free-agent reliever Luis Ayala, the Twins placed right-handed reliever Bobby Korecky on waivers, then waited to see if he would go unclaimed by the other 29 teams so the Twins could place him on their Class AAA roster.

No such luck. Korecky was grabbed by the Arizona Diamondbacks, ending one of the more memorable careers in Rochester Red Wings history and depriving the Twins of a handy emergency reliever.

"We were hoping he would clear. He's been a good pitcher for us," general manager Bill Smith said. Korecky had Tommy John surgery on his elbow in 2005 "and battled back. You always root for guys like that."

But he was 29, making him expendable when the Twins decided to add Ayala. Korecky went 2-0 with a 4.58 earned-run average in 16 appearances for the Twins last season.

He also became the only Twins pitcher in Metrodome history to collect a base hit when on May 19 he singled to right field in the 11th inning and eventually scored the winning run against Texas.

Reyes update: Ayala turned to one of his Mexican countrymen when deciding whether to sign with the Twins. Ayala, a 31-year-old veteran of five major league seasons with the Expos, Nationals and Mets, consulted Dennys Reyes about the team, its manager and its bullpen, Smith said.

Which is interesting, because Ron Gardenhire sounds like he would like to consult Reyes about ... Reyes.

Would he like to have the free-agent left-hander, who has yet to agree to a new contract as prices for relief help have fallen, back in Minnesota's bullpen?

"I would. I like Dennys Reyes. He was a guy I leaned on," Gardenhire said. "I didn't think he had lost anything."

Smith said the Twins have not had any recent conversations with the left-hander, however. Instead, the team formally agreed to a $1.3 million, one-year contract with Ayala, who has been in camp all week.

Bonser in pain: Boof Bonser's first throwing session of camp didn't last long. After about 15 to 20 tosses from 60 feet away and another 15 from 90 feet, he gave up, the pain in his right shoulder still bothering him almost a week after receiving a cortisone shot.

"That was supposed to be the big medicine that would knock it out, so I'm not too happy about it," said Bonser, who hopes to win a long-relief job. "The next thing is they might have to go in and cut it open. I hope not."

So do the Twins. A magnetic resonance imaging exam and X-rays have revealed no structural damage, so doctors have advised Bonser to try again today to see if the pain has subsided.

Son is up: The Twins' new catcher has a familiar name. Toby Gardenhire, an infielder who spent last season at Class AA and is learning to be an emergency catcher, accepted Smith's invitation to help handle catching duties while the team has so many pitchers in camp.

"I'm happy as all get-out for him," said his father, the Twins' manager. "He's a player who wants opportunities, so he's getting a great chance to learn from all these catchers up here."


Source: twincities.com