Kirilloff, Albers, Broxton discuss Twins "alternate site" activities in St Paul

They took three different paths to be part of the Twins "alternate site" corps at CHS Field in St. Paul, but Alex Kirilloff, Andrew Albers and Keon Broxton all hope to wind up in the same place – Target Field.

Click the video box on this page to watch KSTP Sports’ chat with Twins prospect Alex Kirilloff, pitcher Andrew Albers and outfielder Keon Broxton about being part of the team’s "alternate site" workouts at CHS Field in St Paul

Kirilloff is a highly touted up-and-comer, Albers had two previous tours of duty with the Twins in the big leagues before a three-year stint overseas and Broxton hopes the Twins become the fifth team he’s seen MLB action with.

They are all currently part of the Twins daily workouts in Saint Paul – which serve as a bridge between the end of spring training and the start of the Triple-A minor league season in two weeks.

The workouts are similar to those the Twins "taxi squad" players held in St Paul last season when the pandemic meant there was no minor league baseball activity anywhere. The daily routine includes simulated games, batting practice sessions and mound work for pitchers.

Kirilloff, 23, could see his next a call-up within days – if not hours – after the Twins moved Miguel Sano to the injured list. Kirilloff, the 15th overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, can play first base or either corner outfield spot. Last fall, he became one of only five players in MLB history to make their big-league debut in the postseason. He made his regular season debut earlier this year as the additional 27th-man on a Twins doubleheader roster. Once he’s called back up again, he likely will have the opportunity to remain on the roster permanently.

Albers is the senior member of the Twins satellite crew in St Paul. The 35-year-old made his MLB debut playing ten games with the Twins in 2013, and reappeared on the Twins roster in 2016. He also had stops in Seattle and Toronto – as well as overseas stints in Korea and Japan, where he spent the last three seasons.

Broxton, 30, was a 3rd-round pick in 2009 and debuted with the Pirates in 2015. He played full seasons with Milwaukee in 2016 and 2017 and part of the 2018 season. He split the 2019 season between the Mets, Orioles and Mariners.

The players all appreciate the new arrangement that has the Twins top minor leaguers playing AAA ball in St. Paul this summer for the first time.