Harris, Punto each vying for Twins' 3rd base job

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Brendan Harris and Nick Punto are no strangers to battling for a starting infield position with the Minnesota Twins.

They will be back at it again, this time at third base.

Lurking behind them is prospect Danny Valencia, who is coming off playing for Puerto Rico in the Caribbean World Series.

But the difference between Valencia, Harris and Punto, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, is that the latter two have proven themselves on the big-league level.

Since Corey Koskie left the Twins following the 2004 season, stability at third base has been lacking. Since then, the team has employed 17 different players at that spot. That number includes Punto and Harris.

"We'll see how it works out," Gardenhire said. "You try to figure out what you have and see how it all works out."

The Twins have a defensive wizard in the 32-year-old Punto.

"Anywhere we put him, he's pretty much going to be the best defensive player we have," Gardenhire said.

That defensive play helps Punto overcome a lack of offense. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound former Philadelphia Phillie is a career .248 hitter with 12 home runs over nine seasons.

Punto, who started at third on Opening Day in 2007 and at shortstop in 2009, hit .228 with one homer and 38 RBI last season. He has started 197 career big-league games at third, more than any of his teammates.

"I'm just here to win a job," Punto said. "I've been in this position before. I enjoy it and thrive on it. It should be a fun spring training."

Harris started at second base on Opening Day in 2008. The 29-year-old has made 73 career starts at third, and he hit .261 with six home runs and 37 RBI last season.

"I don't come in with a sense of entitlement for anything," Harris said. "You create your breaks. Your performance will lock yourself into whatever role that you want."

Like Harris and Punto, Valencia, 25, also covets the starting spot.

Valencia has yet to play in the big leagues. He split his 2009 season between Double-A New Britain and Triple-A Rochester. He combined to hit .285 with 14 home runs and 70 RBI.

In order to get in some extra work on both offense and defense, Valencia agreed to play as a foreign-born player for team Puerto Rico in the Caribbean World Series.

"Playing in the Caribbean World Series was just awesome," said Valencia, a Miami native who is of Cuban heritage. "It was packed every night. It's fans who live and die baseball over there. When you play Venezuela, you can't even hear yourself on the field. It's probably one of the best baseball experiences I've ever had.

"It definitely felt like you were playing for something important — and we were. We were playing for our country. I'm very, very thankful to have had that opportunity. Hopefully, I can carry that over here."

Valencia is grateful for the chance to show what he can do in spring training.

"You want to set yourself up to possibly make the team," he said. "I just want to work hard and see what happens."

Tags: sports, twins