Short camp for Twins means some work on off-day

BRADENTON, Fla. – With the nature of this shortened spring camp, the Twins don't have many off days. In fact, there's only one on the schedule, Monday.

But not everyone will benefit from that day to relax. Pitcher Sonny Gray, catcher Ryan Jeffers and possibly shortstop Carlos Correa will all be using that day to get ready for the April 7 season opener. Gray and Correa were late additions to camp after their respective trade and signing.

Gray will throw a couple innings in the minor league game Monday, his first game action facing live hitters. Correa should make his game debut at home Sunday against the Boston Red Sox.

"He may or may not get a light workout in on the off day," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Friday. "After playing, he'll know how he's feeling and most likely come back after the off day, play again. He may even get a DH game or two."

Baldelli said Correa has been doing well so far in his live at-bats at regaining his timing.

The Twins appear to be headed to arbitration hearings next month with Gary Sanchez and Luis Arraez, club president of baseball operations Derek Falvey confirmed Friday.

"I wouldn't say anything is final, but at this stage, it looks like it could end up that way," Falvey said. "Could be a record number of cases across the league."

Two is an unusually large number for the Twins, who have had an arbitrator settle only eight disputes, never more than one in any year, since 1986, when three players — Tim Laudner, Frank Viola and Gary Gaetti — all went through the process.

Sanchez, acquired earlier this month from the Yankees, is asking for $9.5 million, according to mlb.com, after making $6.35 million in New York last year. The Twins have offered $8.5 million.

Arraez, who earned $611,000 last season, seeks $2.4 million this season, his first time eligible for salary arbitration. The Twins have countered at $1.85 million. An arbitrator, after hearing both sides' cases via video conference sometime in April, must choose one figure or the other.

Taylor Rogers was also eligible for arbitration, but agreed to a salary of $7.3 million shortly after exchanging figures on Tuesday, a raise of 21.7% from last year's $6 million.

MLB is likely to employ a 28-man roster to start this season, something reportedly negotiated during the lockouts as a way to help with the shortened spring camp. After May 2, though, the 26-man limit with a 13-pitcher roster will once again take effect.

Baldelli said many of his roster decisions won't come until just before Opening Day, partly because the pitchers need every second of that time to stretch out their arms as much as possible. But with the Triple-A season starting earlier than the majors, it does complicate the matter, as players on the cusp of making the MLB team will have to either continue to the end of camp or go play in the minors.

"We may end up just keeping a few extra guys back," Baldelli said. "We may just have some players contributing at the back end of those games who were not necessarily the guys that have been here playing in those games the whole time. So we may have some younger guys coming in that are still down here playing in those [last] games."

Baldelli expects the beginning of the season to have more bullpen games than usual to compensate for starters not having the entire month-plus of spring training.

"The fact that you have the potential for 15 or more arms on your staff, I think it's a good idea. I think teams are going to take advantage of that in a good way," Baldelli said. " … Now we're going to see a lot of multi-inning outings."

Brent Rooker received treatment on his sore right shoulder on Friday and pronounced himself almost completely recovered from Thursday's flare-up. "A little treatment, a little rest, should be good to go in a day or two," said the Twins outfielder, who believes a series of throwing drills may have contributed to the pain that caused him to be scratched from Thursday's lineup.