The Minnesota Twins have spoken to Jason Kubel, trying to get a sense of his thinking with free agency approaching, the Star Tribune reported.
It's unknown whether the Twins made an offer to Kubel, as they did with their two-year, $16 million trial balloon with Michael Cuddyer, but the sides did talk late last month, two people familiar with the discussions said.
Kubel and Cuddyer have let the team know they want to hold off on negotiating until after the season, but both veterans have always been clear about how much they like playing for the Twins.
• Class AAA Rochester pitchers Kyle Gibson and Anthony Slama had their right elbows examined by Twins doctors Monday, and both could wind up having Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery.
"Both players will undergo further diagnostic testing [Tuesday], and we will provide an update during (Tuesday) night's game," general manager Bill Smith said in an e-mail to reporters.
ADVERTISEMENT
New addition
• Tsuyoshi Nishioka's wife, Naoko, gave birth to the couple's first child at 8:26 a.m. Monday The girl, named Sena, weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces.
Nishioka was not in the starting lineup, but manager Ron Gardenhire said he was available off the bench.
Legendary coach dies
Duane Baglien, best known for coaching the Edina boys’basketball team to three consecutive state championships from 1966-68, died Aug. 1 at age 85 after battling melanoma.
During its three championship seasons, Edina posted a 79-1 mark and a state-record 69-game winning streak thanks to players such as Bob Zender, Jeff Wright, Jay Kiedrowski, Kurt Schellhas and Roger Schelper.
Eden Prairie advances to national Legion meet
Eden Prairie scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to edge Carroll, Iowa, 11-9 in the championship game of the American Legion Central Plains Regional in Dickinson, N.D.
ADVERTISEMENT
Eden Prairie (38-7-1) will play Midland (Mich.) at 10 a.m. Friday in Selby, N.C., in the American Legion World Series. This will be the program's fourth World Series appearance; Eden Prairie previously advanced that far in 2004, '05 and '10 and finished second last year.
Eden Prairie was declared state champion on Aug. 1 when heavy rain due to a severe storm left the field unplayable. Lino Lakes was declared runner-up and also advanced to the regional tournament. E.P had no losses in the state meet, Lino Lakes had one.
Eden Prairie seeks to become the fifth Minnesota team to win the national Legion baseball championship. The last one was the Rochester A's in 2003.
