Pitching the Twins

Jason Bartlett said he is ready to be the everyday shortstop for the Minnesota Twins, even though he didn't show it last season.

"I know what to expect," said Bartlett, who played 72 games with the Twins last season. "I got the butterflies out last year. Now I can go back to playing baseball like I did in the minor leagues."

Bartlett was at Playmakers Monday as part of the Twins Winter Caravan. Manager Ron Gardenhire, pitching coach Rick Anderson, outfielder Lew Ford, radio announcer John Gordon and former Twin Kent Hrbek joined Bartlett.

"Bartlett's not locked in, he knows he has to win the job," Gardenhire said. "He has to come back and prove it again. But I thought at the end of the year he played very good baseball."

Bartlett, 26, was the Twins opening day shortstop last season.

But he struggled at the plate and was sent to the minor leagues in mid-May after 26 games. He batted .242 in those games with two home runs, 12 RBIs and four errors.

After spending two-plus months with the Rochester (N.Y.) Red Wings - the Twins Triple-A affiliate where he batted .331 in 62 games - he was called up to the Twins in August.

Although he faded in September and batted .241 for the season, Bartlett showed promise in August, batting .318 in 25 games.

"We thought Bartlett got better and better after he came back up," Gardenhire said. "He played fantastic baseball."

While Nick Punto and Juan Castro also figure to compete for the job, Gardenhire likes Bartlett's potential.

"We have Nick Punto out there and Juan Castro; we know they can catch the baseball," Gardenhire said. "But I would like to see Bartlett out there. He brings a lot to the table. He was catching balls up the middle at the end of last year that we never catch."

Bartlett has spent the offseason in South Carolina working with a personal trainer to improve his strength and conditioning.

If he wins the job, Bartlett is also looking forward to playing with veteran second baseman Luis Castillo, who the Twins traded for in the offseason. The 30-year-old Castillo has 10 years of major league experience.

"He is definitely going to be a force at the top of the lineup," said Bartlett, who has played in 82 major league games. "He's been around and he knows the game. He's got great range over there. He is going to make my job easier."

In addition to Castillo, the Twins also signed veteran third baseman Tony Batista and designated hitter Rondell White. Those three are expected to show the way for young players like Bartlett, first baseman Justin Morneau and catcher Joe Mauer.

"I think it's going to be important because when you have guys that have been in the league 8-10 years, they have seen everything," Ford said.

Confident he's ready to be a productive player for the Twins, Bartlett said there is still work ahead.

"It looks good, but nothing is ever for certain," he said. "I've got to go into camp and play good baseball. I want to go out there and play my butt off and show I deserve to be on this team."

Readers can reach Forum reporter Eric Peterson at (701) 241-5513