For once, the Twins won't open a season with three catchers on the roster. Good-field, no-hit catcher Drew Butera was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Monday morning, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, leaving the Twins with just Joe Mauer and Ryan Doumit on their catching roster.
Minnesota also moved first baseman Jeff Clement, outfielder Brandon Boggs, catcher / outfielder Dan Rohlfing, and utility infielder Ray Olmedo over to minor league camp, leaving Wilkin Ramirez as the team's only "bench bat" option on the spring roster. The team could also still open the season with 13 pitchers on the roster, however, which wouldn't leave room for another bench player besides fourth outfielder Darin Mastroianni and utility infielders Jamey Carroll and Eduardo Escobar, all of whom also remain.
Butera, who signed a one-year, $700,000 contract in the offseason, has drawn interest from other teams, but all signs indicate that the Twins will save him for depth at catcher - probably a smart move, given Mauer and Doumit's injury histories.