FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Veteran outfielder Carlos Quentin rejected his assignment to Triple-A Rochester, and the Twins granted his request to be released to become a free agent. He appears likely to retire, Twins general manager Terry Ryan said Monday.
Quentin, 33, hit .250/.333/.500 with two homers, three doubles and seven RBIs in 15 Grapefruit League games. He didn't play in 2015, but he started off hot this spring before fading late and losing the competition for a backup roster spot to Oswaldo Arcia.
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The Twins were hoping Quentin would accept his assignment to Triple-A, as he had a June 1 opt-out clause, but he's expected to retire unless he gets a Major League deal elsewhere.
"My impression of that exchange is that [Quentin] is going to go home to be with his family," Ryan said. "He did a good job here, but we went a different direction. If somebody called him and offered him a Major League deal, maybe it would be a different scenario. But he doesn't have much interest playing Triple-A for us, and I don't believe he has any interest in playing Triple-A for anybody else. So we granted his release, and if he gets an MLB job, God bless him."
Quentin, a two-time All-Star during his nine years in the Majors, is a career .252/.347/.484 hitter with 154 homers and 491 RBIs in 834 games with the D-backs, White Sox and Padres. The Twins enjoyed having him in camp, as he served as a mentor to younger players, but they ultimately went with Arcia's upside, as Arcia is 24 years old and out of Minor League options.
"I don't know if disappointment is the right word, but I encouraged him to do whatever was best for his personal situation," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "If he decides to play, I think it'll be in a big leagues situation."