The Minnesota Twins signed former San Diego Padres and New York Mets farmhand infielder Matt Gaski, according to Baseball America.

(and thanks to Seth Stohs for misleading everyone)

At first, we had no idea who Gaski was, so we did some Internet research and made some calls.  This is what we got:

Gaski, 23, is a left-handed-hitting infielder who can play third base, second base and shortstop.  Gaski apparently has a good eye for the plate and typically draws more walks than he does strike out, although his plate appearances are limited in both his college career as well as the minor leagues.

One scout said:  “He is a slick fielder who does not have much pop to his hit bat, but certainly plays the field very well.”

The addition of Gaski simply adds depth to a Twins’ farm system who is rated among the lowest in middle-infield prospects.  Gaski’s offensive woes may prevent him from becoming a everyday player in the majors, but according to scouts, he certainly has the skills to hold down multiple infield positions defensively.

Signing Gaski is likely related to the loss of minor league prospect infielder Steve Tolleson, who was waived in order to make room for designated hitter/first baseman Jim Thome.  Although Gaski may not directly replace Tolleson on the minor league roster, his signing certainly gives them options for personnel shifting throughout the minor league system.

Tags: Matt Gaski