Yes, he is. The Twins signed their former mainstay to a minor league deal Tuesday, and also lost Jason Pridie, who had figured to compete for a spot on the 25-man roster, on waivers to the New York Mets.
See the Twins announcement here.
I continue to doubt that the Twins want to go without a legitimate reserve outfielder. There is a genuine function there beyond spelling Denard Span, and I don't see Ron Gardenhire being comfortable using Nick Punto to sub for Delmon Young or Jason Kubel in the late innings.
That said, if I'm Matt Tolbert, I'm bringing an outfielder's glove to Fort Myers.
Whether Jones is a viable option is unknown. He's played very little the past two seasons — little and poorly, at least in the majors. I believe he was playing in an independent league last summer, and he was at the winter meetings in December looking for a team. He turns 35 in April.
But the Jones of 2007 was a legitimate center fielder defensively. If he can still move, and if he can hit righties, there may be a job for him.
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The other item in the press release — the invite to major league camp for Toby Gardenhire — is nothing. With Jose Morales' surgery, the Twins simply needed another catcher in camp to catch the pitchers in their throwing sessions. Don't read nepotistic implications into it.
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