FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -Philip Humber was given Johan Santana's old spot in the Minnesota clubhouse for spring training.
"He didn't leave any money in it. I already looked," Humber said.
So it will go for him, fellow pitchers Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra, and outfielder Carlos Gomez, the four players acquired by the Twins nearly three weeks ago in the trade that sent Santana to New York.
Their entire careers, no matter how long they last, will carry the distinction of their inclusion in the deal for baseball's richest - and arguably best - pitcher. If they have success, the trade will become a footnote. If they fail to establish themselves in the majors, fans won't forget.
Most analysis favored the Mets, because none of these four players are considered can't-miss All-Stars. They've arrived at camp with good attitudes and good humor, though, eager to join an organization committed to development and promotion from within.
They're not worried about the lack of excitement over the return the Twins received for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who recently signed a contract worth at least $137.5 million.
"We were laughing about that earlier," Humber said. "How can you get equal value for Santana? I know the guys that came with me, and I know myself. We feel like they got some good stuff. I really do. I feel like we're going to be able to go out and help the team soon. That's up to the manager and the front office, but I feel like all of us have the tools to contribute to a winning team, and I think the fans in Minnesota are going to be surprised in some ways."
Gomez will get the first chance to show what he's got in the competition to replace Torii Hunter in center field. He split time between Triple-A and the majors last season, but with the veteran Mets his opportunity would have been limited.
Here, if his speed and glove are enough to keep the Twins patient while he works on his swing, Gomez could find himself leading off and playing every day.
Manager Ron Gardenhire was already impressed by the Dominican's handshake.
"He almost made me bow down. He's a strong young man," Gardenhire said.
On the first official day of workouts for pitchers and catchers, Minnesota's manager was struck by the size of the pitchers, too. Humber is listed at 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds, Guerra at 6-5 and 200.
"I have trust in our people. We've done pretty good in trades in the past, so there's no reason for me to doubt our organization went out and studied these guys pretty good," Gardenhire said.
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