Minnesota Twins work on communications gap

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When a pop fly floats toward second against the Minnesota Twins this year, don't expect to hear anyone yelling "I got it!"

It's more likely to be "Watashi wa sore o motte!" or "Lo tengo! Lo tengo!" with middle infielders Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Alexi Casilla penciled in as starters.

Ron Gardenhire has not decided who will play at second base and who will be the shortstop, but he's sure of one thing: "The communication thing is going to be interesting. I don't understand either one of them."

Nishioka joined the Twins this offseason from the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Pacific League, while Casilla, from San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic, is getting another chance to be an everyday player for the organization he joined in 2005. Nishioka only knows a few words of English and Casilla is much more comfortable speaking Spanish. But for middle infielders, all sorts of talking has to happen, from who covers second on a steal to where to go on relay throws to who has the best angle on a fly ball.

"My Japanese is working fine," Casilla said. "His Spanish? No. Real bad. It's like my English."

Nishioka, asked about Casilla's Japanese, said: "We'll make another different new language between the two of us."

Gardenhire says he and his coaches are ready for any mix of "Spanglish" and "Japanglish."

Nishioka, who won the batting title in his Japanese league last year and has Gold Gloves at both second and short, has an interpreter with him at all times in camp.

Then there's first baseman Justin Morneau, from near Vancouver, who likes to say that he speaks Canadian. "All [Nishioka] has to learn how to say is 'eh,' and we'll be all right," Morneau said.

Now, who's going to translate Gardenhire?

Next to Fat Guys Who Can Play (we only have the first part down), our other favorite category of ballplayer, which often overlaps, is the Strikeout-or-Slam Specialist.

Seattle's new slugger Jack Cust puts a new twist on the type: He crushes the ball and strikes out a lot, sure, but he has a good eye at the plate and can draw walks.

For three straight years (2007-09) with Oakland, Cust led the American League in strikeouts. In 2008, he struck out 197 times, while leading the league in walks with 111 and hitting a career-high 33 home runs.

"It's kind of like second nature for me," Cust said. "It's just the way I hit, sometimes to a fault."

Cust said his patience is a trait that started when his father taught him the philosophy of hitting based around Ted Williams. But looking for that perfect pitch to knock out of the park often puts him behind the count.

The Mariners hope that Cust can prove to be the left-handed power bat they've lacked since Ken Griffey Jr. first left the Puget Sound vicinity after the 1999 season. Only twice since Griffey left Seattle - Russell Branyan in 2009 and Raul Ibanez in 2006 - has a left-handed Mariners batter slugged more than 30 homers in a season.

Speaking of Branyan, the 35-year-old former Phillie is our bet to beat the odds and win a three-man race to be the Arizona Diamondbacks everyday first baseman. Ibanez, as Phillies fans know, grew a beard, which may or may not help him nail down left field for the Fightin's.

Fresh off meeting last year's top phenom Stephen Strasburg, this year's model - Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, just named the No. 1 prospect in all the land by Baseball America - is set to make his spring training debut Monday when Washington visits the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Manager Jim Riggleman said he expects the 18-year-old to get at least one at-bat in the game.

Gosh, who knows where Baseball America will put him if he makes contact. As it is, he's ahead of fourth-ranked Domonic Brown, who may be (pace Ben Francisco) the Phillies starter in right field, replacing Jayson Werth.

Speaking of Werth, he and his $126 million, seven-year contract will not make the trip to Port St. Lucie. Neither will third baseman Ryan Zimmerman or first baseman Adam LaRoche. As for Strasburg - out for this season and probably part of next after ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow - he's still throwing, last we heard, somewhere out in the shadows of Harper hype.