Graham’s Loss Is Twins’ Gain

FORT MYERS, FLA.—The Twins promise to give J.R. Graham a second look this spring. They have to, because they might not recognize him otherwise.

Graham, who stuck with Minnesota last season to fulfill Rule 5 requirements that prevented him from being sent down, didn’t feel like a major leaguer last winter, and not just because of his so-so 4.95 ERA. “I wasn’t sleeping well at night, and I didn’t feel that great during the day. I wasn’t in shape,” Graham said. “I finally realized I needed to eat better.”

He dumped his pizza-and-beer dinners, his burger-and-fries late nights. He jettisoned the pasta, candy, fried foods and alcohol from his diet. And by the time he reported to training camp, he weighed 175 pounds, or 35 pounds lighter than last fall.

His teammates, his coaches, and the Twins’ front office were surprised. Come to think of it, so was Graham.

“It wasn’t at all intentional. I wasn’t trying to lose weight,” Graham said. “I just wanted to feel better.”

Now that he does, the Twins hope to feel better about his career. Graham, 26, has never spent a day at Triple-A, and the Twins, though they regard the hard-throwing righthander as one of their top bullpen prospects, project him as starting 2016 at Triple-A Rochester. He was once the second-ranked prospect in the Braves’ system, after all, before a shoulder injury cost him most of the 2013 season.

The Twins want reassurance this spring, however, that Graham’s declining weight won’t trigger a decline in velocity, too.

“He looks very fit, but you never know how body changes affect a ballplayer,” general manager Terry Ryan said. “I’m happy for him, because he’s happy about his changes. We’ll keep an eye on him, same as we would anybody.”

TWIN KILLINGS

• With the final free agent signings complete, the Twins will pick 15th in next June’s amateur draft, the first time they have selected outside the top six since taking Levi Michael 30th overall in 2011.

• Infielder Jorge Polanco, who has played 329 minor-league games at shortstop and 136 at second base, has begun working out at third base this spring as well, in hopes of challenging Danny Santana and Eduardo Nunez(^) for a utility position in the majors. Polanco homered off Boston’s Anthony Varvaro in his Grapefruit League debut.