Twins add DePaula to 40-man roster

MINNEAPOLIS -- October is often the time when clubs make changes to their 40-man roster, and that's exactly what the Twins have been doing of late.

The most recent change came this week, when the Twins added right-handed pitcher Julio DePaula to the 40-man roster.

DePaula went a combined 3-3 with a 2.09 ERA and 10 saves in 51 appearances in the Minors this past season. He started the year at Class A Advanced Fort Myers and pitched in eight games before being moved up to Double-A New Britain, where he went 2-2 with a 2.57 ERA in 43 relief appearances.

The move to add DePaula to the roster comes one week after the Twins outrighted left-handed pitchers Dave Gassner and Justin Jones and infielder Terry Tiffee off the 40-man roster.

Both Gassner, 27, and Tiffee, 27, have spent time in the Majors but never secured a spot at that level. Tiffee batted .244 (11-for-45) with one double, two homers and six RBIs. Gassner spent most of the 2006 season on the disabled list with a left elbow strain and went 2-0 with a 4.73 ERA in six games for Triple-A Rochester after being reinstated.

Tiffee becomes a free agent since he has spent six years in the Minor Leagues, but he still could re-sign with the Twins.

Jones, 22, was the only one of the three who had not spent time in the Majors. The only player acquired by the Twins when they dealt Doug Mientkiewicz to Boston as part of a four-team trade in 2004, Jones began the year at Fort Myers. The southpaw went 1-3 with a 5.20 ERA in 10 starts before he was promoted to New Britain, where he had a 2-2 record and 3.25 ERA.

In addition to outrighting the three players, the Twins also activated outfielder Shannon Stewart from the 60-day disabled list. It's a move that seems only for paper, as Stewart will become a free agent this winter and is not expected to be back with the Twins.

Stewart traveled with the Twins during their lone playoff series and said on the trip that he is debating whether to have surgery on his injured left foot that caused him to miss 106 games this season. The surgery is a bit risky, as Stewart was told it could be career-ending if unsuccessful. Stewart said that he also is looking into shockwave therapy, a fairly new treatment for the injury.