FORT MYERS, Fla. – In the past five years, Craig Breslow has twice come to a major league training camp with a minor league contract, and in two other years, he opened the season in Class AAA. So the lefthanded reliever understands the dynamics — and yes, the fun — of having to pitch his way onto a major league team.
"I really enjoy the challenge. And more so than competing with [teammates], I revel in the idea of competing with myself, of seeing how effective I can be," Breslow said on the eve of the start of that competition: the Twins' first Grapefruit League game, Friday against the Rays. "You try not to make it a you-vs.-someone-else situation — it's about showing them you can get outs consistently. If you do that, there's a place for you in the major leagues."
There are only 25 places in the majors on any one team, though, and the Twins have 62 players in uniform, meaning three-fifths of their clubhouse's inhabitants will get some bad news this spring. Some, such as youngsters Nick Gordon or Felix Jorge, have little realistic chance to stick; they're in camp to get a glimpse of their future. And several, such as Joe Mauer and Ervin Santana, can use camp for preparation, with no worries about being challenged for their job.
But during 35 spring games over the next 36 days, battles for those roster spots will play out before manager Paul Molitor, Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey and General Manager Thad Levine, who must choose which 37 players to disappoint.
"How the rotation shakes out, particularly at the bottom end" will be one ongoing story line, Molitor said Thursday, "and at least four bullpen spots are up for grabs. Positionally, we've got [to choose a] backup catcher. … Outfield play, there's competition there, in my mind, about how that's going to end up, whether you look at a platoon or backups. We've got some people that are going to push people."
There also is some question about who the designated hitter will be, and how to fill out the final bench spots. For a young, inexperienced team, the Twins are planning remarkably little competition for starting roles at most positions — only DH and perhaps shortstop aren't already settled. But the pitching staff, in the wake of a horrific 2016, is just as unsettled now as it seemed five months ago.
"We've given ourselves plenty of options, and we're keeping an open mind as to who is ready to step forward," Molitor said. "I have a lot of confidence and anticipation for watching how that works itself out."
Santana is a given to head the rotation, and while Hector Santiago, Kyle Gibson and Phil Hughes aren't guaranteed spots, they clearly have the advantage of experience. But that leaves Trevor May, Jose Berrios and Tyler Duffey to pitch for the fifth spot, with newcomers Nick Tepesch, Ryan Vogelsong, Adalberto Mejia and Justin Haley also hoping to get Molitor's attention.