Gardenhire welcome to work for Twins but will take year off

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) - Former manager Ron Gardenhire has decided to take the year off, rather than work as an adviser role for the Minnesota Twins.

Gardenhire was fired after last season and replaced by Paul Molitor, though his contract has another year on it. Gardenhire has a home near the Twins spring training facility in Fort Myers, but he decided to stay away from now and focus on his family.

"If he wanted to do something, I'm in," said general manager Terry Ryan, who offered Gardenhire the opportunity to serve in any number of capacities based on his experience and skills. The two had a couple of conversations about that, but Gardenhire opted not to pursue this.

Gardenhire managed the Twins for 13 seasons. Ryan said he believes Gardenhire's goal is to be manager again in the majors.

"It depends on opportunities, but there's going to come when somebody is going to lose their job and there's going to be an opening and I would think that his name would be in the forefront," Ryan said.