FORT MYERS, FLA. - The Twins were able to keep lefthander Scott Diamond, but it cost them more than just a ho-hum prospect.

The Twins agreed to send relief prospect Billy Bullock to Atlanta in order to keep Diamond, who was then outrighted to Class AAA Rochester.

Diamond was selected by the Twins in the Rule 5 draft and had to remain with the major league club or be offered back to Atlanta for half the $50,000 fee. If a team wants to keep a Rule 5 pick and send him to the minors, that player must clear waivers and then the team has to work a trade with the club that previously had him.

Diamond, 24, had given up one earned run in six innings this spring before a cut on his thumb opened up and started bleeding during a March 12 game against St. Louis. He was out about a week and a half, which hurt his chances of making the team.

But he preferred to stay with the Twins rather than head back to Atlanta. "I'm real excited to be a Twin and be over in this locker room," said Diamond, who is expected to be a starting pitcher at Rochester. "I hope I get the chance to contribute."

Bullock is a second-round draft pick out of Florida who throws a fastball clocked legitimately in the mid-90s. Some within and outside the Twins organization think he might be better suited as a setup man and not a closer. But last year, Bullock struck out 105 batters in 74 innings at Class A Fort Myers and Class AA New Britain.

"We lost a good pitcher," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, "You have to give up something to get something. We don't have many lefties in our organization, as far as starting pitching goes."

Etc. • Joe Mauer throws on the towel in a mocking depiction of Steelers star Troy Polamalu in a Head & Shoulders commercial that debuted Monday. In the ad, the Twins catcher has a brown towel draped over his head and lifts his voice several octaves to the delight of others in the clubhouse, but Polamalu catches him in the act. To see the ad, visit youtube.com/headandshoulders.

• The Twins sold out all 16 of their spring training home games this year. Their total attendance of 129,459 was the second highest in Hammond Stadium's 21 years of operation.

On deck The Twins and Braves will meet in the first of two exhibition games in Atlanta. Nick Blackburn will start for the Twins vs. Cristhian Martinez.

LA VELLE E. NEAL III

Star Tribune staff writer Paul Walsh contributed to this report.