Twins trade Nick Anderson, release Alan Busenitz

Tuesday was the day major league clubs had to finalize their 40-man rosters, and the Twins did so by adding infielders Nick Gordon and Luis Arraez and outfielder LaMonte Wade to their list.

In all, the Twins have 38 players on their 40-man roster, which gives them flexibility to add a player through a trade, free agency or the Rule 5 draft scheduled for Dec. 12.

One player they did not add to the roster is lefthander Tyler Jay, their first-round pick in 2015. Jay has battled shoulder problems and has thrown only 173⅓ minor league innings over four seasons. He posted a 4.22 ERA at Chattanooga in 38 appearances this year.

While Jay is available to be selected in the Rule 5 draft, his numbers do not stand out.

The Twins elected not to add Brainerd native Nick Anderson to the roster. Instead, the club dealt him to Florida in exchange for infielder Brian Schales. Anderson went 8-2 with a 3.30 ERA for Rochester. Schales, drafted in the fourth round in 2014, hit .258 with 10 homers and 49 RBI for Class AA Jacksonville last season.

And the Twins released righthander Alan Busenitz so he could sign with the Rakuten Eagles of the Japanese Leagues. Busenitz gave up 22 earned runs in 25⅓ innings last season. While he has a good breaking ball and a mid-90s fastball, he struggled with his command.

Busenitz issued a statement through the Twins which read: "After much thought and prayer, my family and I have decided to pursue an opportunity to play baseball in Japan in 2019. I'd like to thank the Twins for giving me the opportunity to realize my childhood dream of pitching in the big leagues. And I will be forever grateful to the entire Twins organization and their wonderful fans for making our time in Minnesota so special. We are excited to see what the future holds and appreciate all the support given along the way."

Gordon, 23, was the Twins' first-round pick in 2014 and is one of their top prospects. He batted .248 between Class AA Chattanooga and Class AAA Rochester. He really fell off down the stretch at Rochester, batting .212 in 59 games there.

Wade, 24, batted .257 between Chattanooga and Rochester with a .360 on-base percentage. He was selected in the ninth round in 2015. He's considered a corner outfielder.

Arraez, 21, batted .310 between Class A Fort Myers and Chattanooga as he returned from ACL surgery in 2017. He's a .329 hitter in the minors, but has hit just six home runs in 313 games. He's primarily a second baseman but has played some shortstop and third base.