Twins on the hook for Joel Zumaya's entire $850,000 contract

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Minnesota Twins are on the hook for Joel Zumaya's entire contract after all.

Just a few hours after Zumaya was officially released, general manager Terry Ryan confirmed the team must pay Zumaya the full $850,000 on the major league contract he signed this offseason.

The contract gave the Twins some protection, in that Zumaya was owed only $400,000 if he didn't make the club out of spring training. But because he suffered a season-ending elbow injury in late-February, prior the season starting, the Twins must pay the entire contract.

The only way Zumaya wouldn't have received $850,000 is if he had been cut prior to the start of the season for non-injury reasons.

Zumaya's Tommy John surgery is scheduled for Thursday in Pensacola.

Phil Mackey is a columnist for 1500ESPN.com. He co-hosts "Reusse & Mackey" weekdays from 4 to 6pm on 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
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