Twins add 8 on minor-league deals

The Minnesota Twins signed eight players to minor-league deals on Wednesday, adding outfielder Brandon Boggs, shortstop Ray Olmedo, right-hander Bryan Augenstein, first baseman Reynaldo Rodriguez, right-handers Scott Elarton and Virgil Vasquez, and left-handers Michael O`Connor and Jason Lane, reports Adam Berry of MLB.com.

Three of the players – Boggs, Olmedo, and Augenstein – also received invitations to major-league spring training,

Boggs, 29, spent the entire 2012 with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, where he hit. 259/.359/.408 with nine home runs. The switch-hitter has played in parts of four big-league seasons with the Rangers and Brewers, with almost all of his playing time coming in 2008 with Texas. His most recent big-league appearance was a 16-game stint with Milwaukee in 2011 in which he batted .158/.273/.474 with two home runs.

Olmedo, 31, appeared in 20 games with the Chicago White Sox this past season, hitting .244/.244/.293 with just two extra-base hits. The slap-hitting middle infielder is a career .230/.273/.293 hitter in 218 big-league games.

Augenstein, 26, spent the 2012 season in the Rays’ organization, posting a 3.59 ERA in 42⅔ innings for Triple-A Durham. The right-hander has had just two brief stints in the majors over the past several seasons, and owns an 8.34 ERA in 22⅔ innings.