The Rule 5 draft is roughly 30 minutes away, but the Twins look to be spectators and not participators this year. They have the 20th pick in the major league phase and have talked about players. But they don’t see a fit for where they are drafting. Plus, their 40-man roster is full.

“At this time we are at 40,” Twins GM Bill Smith said. “While that’s subject to change, we don’t anticipate altering our roster before (the draft).”

We will be present at the event, anyway.

One development on the trade front. One AL team that has been in touch with the Twins was told that Boof Bonser, Glen Perkins AND Alexi Casilla were available. Casilla was a mild surprise. He disappointed the Twins last season and they have the scrappy Matt Tolbert to help back up the infield.

Teams will begin to pack up and leave after the draft. Not the Twins. They always attend a minor league banquet on the last day of the meetings. We are scheduled to meet with Smith after the draft, then we’ll begin to wrap up this year’s winter meetings.

The Twins met yesterday with the agent for Mark DeRosa and definitely are exploring ways to land the versatile player. DeRosa is 34 but still hit 23 homers and 78 RBI last year in stints with Cleveland and St. Louis (batted .250 but, IIRC, has an injury with the Cards). He could be the best thing the Twins have as a No. 2 hitter in front of Joe Mauer.

There are several third baseman available, and the buyer’s market could grow after Saturday, when some arbitration-eligible players aren’t tendered contracts. For instance, there’s a lot of speculation that Colorado will non-tender Garrett Atkins. That could drive down prices.

There have been rumors that DeRosa is seeking a three-year, $27 million deal, but the market could force him to settle for less. The indications I received last night (early this morning) were that the Twins would find ways to make a two and, possibly, a three-year deal work.

 So don’t expect anything to go down this week. Teams will wait until after the tender deadline on Saturday to survey the market and plan accordingly.

I know there’s a report of the Twins having interest in Adrian Beltre, Pedro Feliz and Juan Uribe. The agents for Feliz have not heard from the Twins. I have not heard anything about Beltre - although the Twins have spoken with his agent, Scott Boras, about Joe Crede and might have asked about Beltre too. And the Uribe link….I just don’t believe it.

Ran into an agent with the same agency that represents Rich Harden. The Twins have not been in contact recently and it sounded like the Mariners had a good shot to land him.

 There continues to be mutual interest between the Twins and former Gopher Robb Quinlan, but nothing is close. And I sense that the Twins view Quinlan as a minor league sign with an invite to camp, while Quinlan is looking for a major league deal.

Update: I forgot to mention that the Twins tried to sign Boof Bonser to a one-year deal in recent weeks but were rebuffed. If he had signed, he probably wouldn’t have been desginated for assignment on Tuesday. It was risky for Bonser, who is coming off of shoulder surgery to turn down a deal. Now, he’s expected to become a free agent on Saturday when the Twins release him.

BTW, I met former Twins Bill Singer and Mike Cubbage at breakfast this morning. Their claim to fame is that they arrived with Jim Gideon, Roy Smalley and $250,000 from Texas in 1976 in exchange for Bert Blyleven and Danny Thompson.

Singer is a scout with Washington. Cubbage is with the Rays.

Singer couldn’t believe Sid Hartman still works.  He’s not the only one. (rim shot)

Heard tonight that the Twins are very interested in free agent infielder Mark DeRosa. There will be more on this in a few hours, as I’m dead tired after a night of grazing through the hotel lobby and talking to folks about Milton Bradley, Ross Gload, Illinois-Vanderbilt basketball, flip cameras, Peter Gammons, Ron Gardenhire, Sparky Anderson, Jim Leyland, the Arizona Diamondbacks, Jason Kubel, newspapers, the Big Red Machine, the Twins batting order, Glen Perkins, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Delmon Young, Larry Young, Dmitri Young, Joe Mauer, Curtis Granderson, being ordained, snowstorms, Patrick Reusse and wake up calls, media relations and any move the Twins are trying to make. Goodnight….

The Twins waited until Tuesday to announce that righthander Boof Bonser has been designated for release or assignment, a move to create space on the roster for righthander Carl Pavano.

Bonser missed all of last season following right shoulder surgery during spring training. He recovered quickly enough for him to contemplate an attempt to pitch in September when the Twins made a late run to the postseason. The Twins decided against that.

With a crowded field fighting for spots on the 2010 pitching staff, someone was expendable. And it certainly helps a team whose 2010 payroll is climbing toward $90 million. 

Bonser was 3-7 with a 5.93 ERA in 2008 and 18-25, 5.12 in 163 games with the Twins. He arrived with Joe Nathan and Francisco Liriano in exchange for catcher A.J. Pierzynski in 2003.

The Twins might not be done moving pitchers from their roster. Lefthander Glen Perkins could be traded, and righthander Jesse Crain could be no-tendered by Saturday’s deadline.Â

Barring a last-minute change of mind righthander Carl Pavano will inform the Twins tonight that he is accepting the Twins’ offer of arbitration, according to a source familiar with negotiations.

It’s official: Pavano has accepted arbitration from the Twins.

Pavano, 33, had drawn interest from a handful of teams and had hoped to receive some multi-year offers but, at the worst, will end up with the Twins on a one-year deal. The sides are expected to try to reach agreement on a contract to avoid arbitration.

It means that four-fifths of the Twins’ 2010 rotation is pretty much set in stone. Pavano will join righthanders Nick Blackburn, Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey in the rotation.

There will be plenty of competition for the fifth spot in the rotation between lefthanders Glen Perkins, Brian Duensing and Francisco Liriano and righthanders Boof Bonser, Anthony Swarzak and Jeff Manship. Some of those pitchers, of course, have more realistic chances than others,