SAN DIEGO – Eduardo Nunez is the Twins' only representative at this year's All-Star Game. But he was far from feeling lonely during Monday's media day.
Right across from him sat pitcher Dellin Betances, Nunez's former spring training roommate with the Yankees. Around the corner, offseason workout buddy Robinson Cano entertained a large media contingent.
On his phone, among the many congratulatory messages Nunez received were ones from Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter — with Nunez making it clear that Jeter's message came before No. 2 married model Hannah Davis over the weekend. Nunez also mentioned he has good relationships with Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion and the Yankees' Carlos Beltran.
This is Nunez's first All-Star appointment, making it special in its own right. Being able to a share it with a couple of his former Yankees teammates and other baseball friends enhances everything, he said.
"It's always good to be around your friends," Nunez said. "All these people, they grow up together with me."
Nunez, 29, was signed by the Yankees in 2004, debuted with them in 2010 and was traded to the Twins in 2014 for minor league pitcher Miguel Sulbaran. Nunez has spent the past several offseasons working out with Cano, Encarnacion, the Angels' Albert Pujols, Miami's Marcell Ozuna, Arizona's Jean Segura and others in the Dominican Republic. Cano's father, Jose, will throw batting practice to them over the offseason while they work on their swings.
"When he first came up with New York, he was a guy that was trying to hit everything to the right side of the field," Robinson Cano said. "Something we have been working on every year is trying to use the whole field and just have your swing and not try to force the ball to the other way."
Cano said he used to have an inside-out swing as well. So they both worked on being able to pull inside pitches with authority. All Nunez needed, Cano said, was a chance to play every day to show he could be an everyday player.
