FORT MYERS, Fla. – Kennys Vargas' days with the Twins may not be over quite yet.
The Twins claimed Vargas off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, just two days after the Reds claimed him from the Twins. But something has changed in the week since the Twins first decided to part ways with the 27-year-old slugger: They have room for him on the 40-man roster.
A spot opened up when Jorge Polanco was placed on the suspended list last Sunday, and when Vargas' name showed up on the waiver wire, the Twins decided to bring him back.
"Even when we put him out [on waivers] the first time, we feel there's value there," Twins manager Paul Molitor said of last week's transaction, made necessary when the Twins acquired outfielder Jake Cave in a trade with the Yankees.
The week in limbo actually worked out well for Vargas, who returned to Puerto Rico to be present for the birth of a daughter on Thursday, the same day that the Reds claimed him.
Vargas never actually made it to Cincinnati's camp in Goodyear, Ariz., in fact.
But this reunion with the Twins could be just as short-lived as his stint with the Reds, since it doesn't come with a job on the major league team, at least for now.
Because he is out of options, the Twins figure to place Vargas on waivers once again, in hopes that he goes unclaimed this time — that was obviously the Reds' hope, too, considering they have Joey Votto at first base and no designated hitter — which would allow them to assign him to Class AAA Rochester, available for call-up.
"He's not a real good fit for us now, that's pretty obvious," Molitor said.