Twins day at training camp

FORT MYERS, FLA. – The Twins clubhouse is becoming Angels East.

Infielder Erick Aybar was being interviewed Saturday afternoon when he stopped and yelled, "Rodney!"

Fernando Rodney, Aybar's former Angels teammate, yelled back in Spanish from the other side of the clubhouse.

Ervin Santana wasn't around at the time, but he spoke with Aybar about signing with the Twins. Aybar did sign a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. If Aybar makes the team, he will earn $1.25 million. He can opt to become a free agent at the end of camp if things don't work out.

"That's my boy," Aybar said of Santana. "We talked [Friday] night. I played with him for like seven years and have known him a long time."

Catcher Bobby Wilson, in camp as a nonroster free agent, also is former teammate. So is reliever Michael Kohn, another nonroster invite who was drafted by the Angels and broke in with them in 2010.

Torii Hunter (2008-12) and LaTroy Hawkins (2012) also played with Aybar, a 2014 All-Star.

"He told me that he can play the outfield, too, which I haven't done a lot of digging on to see if that is a possibility," manager Paul Molitor said.

Aybar, 34, has been on winning teams, playing in 17 postseason games. Hunter speaks highly of his leadership skills, which could help the younger players in camp.

"He has a winning mentality," Hunter said. "I played with him for five years, and love him. It's a great opportunity to have him in the clubhouse. They can see how he works and carries himself."

Aybar will wear No. 0. The only Twins player to wear that number is catcher Junior Ortiz in 1990 and '91. "I like low numbers," Aybar said.

Out to quench their never-ending thirst for knowledge, Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey and General Manager Thad Levine reached out over the offseason to the most successful head coach or manager in the Twin Cities.

"There is something impressive to me about a team that wins and sustains a hunger," Falvey said.

Reeve, along with assistant coach Walt Hopkins, went to Target Field in mid-December and spent more than two hours with Falvey, Levine and Kate Townley, the Twins senior manager of baseball administration who was a standout hoops player at Cretin-Derham Hall.

The Twins asked Reeve about her leadership philosophies, how she's able to evolve on the job — and her ability to sustain a winning culture.

"In turn, Cheryl and Walt asked us quite a few questions about analytics and how we are using analytics to inform talent acquisition as well as talent development," Levine said. "In short, Cheryl is a champion, and we desire to learn all that we can from people with her level of amazing success."

Catcher Willians Astudillo, delayed by visa problems in Venezuela, has finally arrived at camp.