The Twins optioned four players to Class AAA Rochester this morning - Philip Humber, Denard Span, Brian Buscher and Jason Pridie.

Righthander Casey Daigle was reassigned to the minor league camp.

That means that Carlos Gomez, who’s batting .286 with a homer, 6 RBI and 10 stolen bases this spring, will be the Twins’ starting center fielder on Opening Day.

Pridie batted .295 this spring with 4 RBI and was 5 for 7 in attempted steals. He felt he did everything he could to make the club but knew going in it was going to be tough to make the club with so many outfielders in camp.

Span took the news hard. He really felt he had a good chance to make the team and believed he gave Gomez a stiff challenge for the job. He choked up a few times while he spoke with reporters.

The final cuts are never easy. For some reason, there was no music playing in the clubhouse this morning, which made things worse. Players (and the media) look around the room to see who’s packing up and then figure out when the right time is to approach the guy who’s just been cut.

Buscher being cut indicates that Matt Tolbert will make the team as an extra utility player. Who saw that one coming at the beginning of camp?

There are 29 players left in camp. Catchers Drew Butera and Eli Whiteside won’t make the team. Outfielder-first baseman Jon Knott won’t make the team. So here’s your 13 position players:

Catchers (2): Joe Mauer, Mike Redmond

Infielders (6): Justin Morneau , Brendan Harris, Adam Everett, Mike Lamb, Nick Punto, Matt Tolbert.

Outfielders (5): Delmon Young, Carlos Gomez, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, Craig Monroe.

The are 13 pitchers left in camp. Indications are that Fransisco Liriano will open the season in the minors, meaning Brian Bass will make the club.

So these are your 2008 Minnesota Twins.

Here are the lineups:

Cardinals: Shumaker, Duncan, Barton, Ankiel, Ludwick, Kennedy, Jimenez, LaRue, Izturis. Pitching: Brad Thompson.

Twins: Go-Go, Red Dog, Cuddy, Canadian Clubber, D.Y., Monroe (DH), Lamb, Harris, Tolbert. Pitching: Bassman, followed by The Big Sweat.

Minor leaguers added today: LHP Ryan Mullins, RHP  Kyle Waldrop, INF Steve Tolleson, INF Yancarlos Ortiz

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