Twins fill out coaching staff with Orioles' Davis

The finishing touches have been placed on Paul Molitor's first major league staff, as the Twins announced Monday the hiring of longtime Orioles minor league coach Butch Davis.

Davis will coach first base while instructing outfield play, baserunning and bunting. It will be his first major league job after spending 20 years in various roles in Baltimore's minor league system. The former outfielder played in 166 major league games with five teams from 1983 to 1994.

Davis coached at Class AAA and AA, has been a minor league roving outfield and bunting instructor and he managed at rookie league Sarasota in 1997-98 then Class A Delmarva in 1999. He spent the past two seasons as field coach for Class A Bowie.

"I think that I have learned a lot," said Davis, 56. "I also think that they kept me around for 20 years [because] I was knowledgeable and I knew what I was doing. I also brought a very positive attitude."

Davis didn't have much a connection with the Twins, although he mentioned the 1993 game in the Metrodome when Kirby Puckett robbed him of a home run. But Molitor liked Davis the more he got to know him.

"It was just taking in information we had from people we trusted, then doing our due diligence in finding out as much as we could about people who might be a fit," Molitor said. "That certainly happened in Butch's case."

So Molitor's staff is complete. Davis joins bench coach Joe Vavra, pitching coach Neil Allen, hitting coach Tom Brunansky, assistant hitting coach Rudy Hernandez, third base coach Gene Glynn and bullpen coach Eddie Guardado. Molitor, Vavra and Brunansky return from last season's staff under Ron Gardenhire.

"It is an unique group we have put together," Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said, "but it is something we are very comfortable with."

One thing the staff doesn't have is a sage veteran, who could be useful to a first-time manager. But Molitor believes his staff is strong in areas he is not.

Molitor said he has spoken with Davis about using all the tools the club has — specifically naming Jack Goin, Twins manager of major league administration and baseball research — to help players prepare for games.

"There are certain areas I'm going to need more help with than others," Molitor said. "But I am confident that we have assembled a staff that is going to be able to handle all those things."

Ryan confirmed that the Twins lost out on their bid to sign Korean lefthander Hyeon-jong Yang.

But it really doesn't matter who won the bid. Yang's team, the Kia Tigers, rejected the winning bid anyway. So Yang will not come to the majors until 2016 at the earliest.

Several teams, including the Twins, remain interested in signing free agent Torii Hunter. The 39-year-old former Twins outfielder is interested in returning to where he broke into the majors, but some playoff teams from last year are among his suitors.

Both Hunter, who played for Detroit the past two seasons, and the Twins appear to be interested in determining if a reunion is possible soon.