FORT MYERS, Fla. — There are still 16 pitchers in camp, four more than Paul Molitor intends to bring north for the April 6 season opener. The Twins manager, along with general manager Terry Ryan, hopes to know exactly who is on his 12-man staff by the weekend.

"The dial gets turned up now, where we're at. All of a sudden you're going to see some things that maybe aren't pretty, and you have to take those into consideration," Ryan said. "There are certain guys who are going to have to perform, as cold as that sounds."

Molitor said he remains open-minded about the most visible competition, for the final spot in the starting rotation, and he dropped a hint that it may be a two-man race now. "We are in the process of making a decision," Molitor said, about whether Mike Pelfrey, who gave up seven hits and two runs over 4 2/3 innings against the Phillies on Monday, will make another start this weekend. That's notable because Tommy Milone and Trevor May will start the next two games, in what may amount to a head-to-head duel for the job.

If Pelfrey is no longer given starting assignments, it likely means he is headed for the bullpen; the same would be true of Milone, Ryan said. "That's a fair assumption," the general manager said.

In fact, Ryan left open the door for a longshot scenario, in which all three finalists make the Twins' roster, May as a starter and the two veterans in relief. "I don't want to eliminate any of those guys. They're still here," Ryan said. "Let's play it out."

They will over the next two days, at least. Milone, the lefthander, will face the Red Sox on Thursday, trying to improve on his 4.00 ERA. May will pitch against the Pirates on Friday (with Phil Hughes moving to a minor-league game), hoping to extend his run of four scoreless innings that he put up on Monday. Perhaps Pelfrey will get a minor-league start on Saturday; Molitor said Ervin Santana would get the major-league start against Philadelphia.

"We want to get this solved as soon as we can," Ryan said. "Every appearance these guys make from this point forward is very important."