Nick Gordon, 12 others invited to Twins spring training camp

The Twins will learn this spring how close Nick Gordon is to being major league ready.

Gordon, the Twins' first-round pick in 2014 who had an All-Star season at Class AA last year, is among 13 nonroster players invited to take part in spring training later this month. The 22-year-old shortstop — brother of Mariners infielder Dee Gordon and son of former All-Star pitcher Tom Gordon — will take part in full-squad workouts that begin Feb. 19 in Fort Myers, Fla.

"I hate to put too many expectations on rookies, but they should come to camp prepared," Derek Falvey, the Twins chief baseball officer, said Tuesday. "We wouldn't bring a guy to camp if we didn't think he had a chance to impact us at some point soon."

Gordon has no major league experience yet, but eight of the other invitees do, including veteran catcher Bobby Wilson. Other invitees with major league experience: righthanded pitchers Michael Kohn and Myles Jaye; infielders Taylor Featherston, Brock Stassi and Gregorio Petit; and outfielders Nick Buss and Ryan LaMarre.

Outfielder LaMonte Wade and righthanded reliever Jake Reed, teammates of Gordon's at Chattanooga in 2017, also received invitations to camp. Like Gordon, Wade was a Southern League All-Star last season, and Reed was a fifth-round pick in 2014 whose bullpen career has been frequently derailed by injury.

In addition to Wilson, extra catchers Brian Naverreto and Willians Astudillo will report to camp next Tuesday.

Buss won the Pacific Coast League batting title last year. The 31-year-old hit .348 with 38 extra-base hits, including 11 home runs, and 55 RBI with Class AAA El Paso in the San Diego organization. He has played in 44 big-league games — he was with the Angels for 36 games in 2016 after playing eight for the Dodgers in 2013.

Kohn, 31, has pitched in 132 games in relief for the Angels and the Braves. He has 111 strikeouts in 115 innings.

Wilson played for the Angels, Rays, Rangers and Tigers. In eight seasons (324 games, including 307 as a catcher), the 34-year-old has hit .214 with 16 home runs and 84 RBI.

Featherston, 28, was in 17 games for Tampa Bay last season, hitting two home runs and .179. He played in 101 games (42 starts) for the Angels in 2015 and in 130 major league games has a batting average of .160.

Petit, 32, hit .260 with four home runs in 76 games last season split between Class AAA Buffalo and Class A Dunedin. A Venezuelan, he played in 171 major league games with Oakland, Houston, the Yankees and Angels and been with eight organizations in the past 14 seasons.

Stassi, 28, is a first baseman who played 51 games for the Phillies in 2017. He hit .167 with two home runs in 51 games for Philadelphia.