FORT MYERS, Fla. — Rocco Baldelli is so often the bearer of bad news, the one to let players know that they have been sent down to the minor leagues or cut.

Monday, he got to deliver some good news, letting a pair of players — utilityman Mickey Gasper and outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. — know that they were making the Opening Day roster out of camp for the first time in their careers as the Twins finalized their position-player group.

“Making an Opening Day roster, it’s important to players. It’s important to every guy that has ever played that’s been in a spring training,” Baldelli said. “Being able to tell those guys that, that’s one of the joys of doing this job.”

Gasper, 29, got the news he had been waiting for a day after he was gashed while trying to make a play by Twins minor leaguer Brandon Winokur. The cut required six stitches, but Gasper said he knew pretty quickly that the cut wasn’t something too serious.

His parents were in town and saw him get injured — he texted them from a team trainer’s phone to let them know the cut was “no big deal” — and later celebrated his good news with him.

“You go into spring training every year wanting to show what you’ve got and make a team, and this time it happened,” Gasper said. “I made it, one of the 30 MLB teams in the world. When you put it in perspective like that, it’s exciting. (It) keeps that fire in me going, just to go out and show what I’ve got.”

For Keirsey, 27, the feeling was almost like he heard he had gotten called up to the big leagues for the first time, something which happened last September. Keirsey has played in just six major league games.

“It was just that nervous, anxious feeling of knowing a decision has to be made. So when he called me in there and I heard that, I just took a big, big sigh of relief,” Keirsey said. “Excitement came after.”

The Twins chose Keirsey, a superior defender, over Austin Martin, taking their third left-handed outfielder. Martin was officially optioned to Triple-A on Monday, receiving the news right after Keirsey.

Keirsey joins an outfield group that includes Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach and Harrison Bader and figures to be used as a potential defensive replacement and pinch runner.

“DaShawn is an excellent defender at all three spots. He’s an excellent baserunner,” Baldelli said. “He has some really nice strengths to help us win games.”

Gasper plays first, second and catches. He was brought into the organization this winter, and notified of the trade between the Twins and Boston Red Sox on Christmas Eve after he had sat down to dinner with his family.

The switch hitter has just 13 games of major league experience and is still looking for his first career hit. But he has a .392 on-base percentage in the minor leagues and last year hit .328 between Double and Triple-A.

He joins Carlos Correa, Ty France, Willi Castro, Edouard Julien and Jose Miranda in the infield with Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vázquez behind the plate. Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee will begin the year on the injured list.

“I thought I could make the team when I got here,” Gasper said. “That’s always something, you’ve got to come in confident. Even in a room of great players, you’ve got to believe in yourself that you’re one of those great players. I knew that if I went out and gave it everything I had and tried not to waste a day, good things could happen.”

Mickey Gasper #11 of the Minnesota Twins poses for a portrait at Lee Health Sports Complex during the Minnesota Twins Photo Day on Feb. 21, 2025 at the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
DaShawn Keirsey Jr. #21 of the Minnesota Twins poses for a portrait at Lee Health Sports Complex during the Minnesota Twins Photo Day on Feb. 21, 2025 at the Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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