BANNER CLASS

Entering the summer of 2009, the Twins were a mid-level player on the international market. They had some history of success, namely in Australia and Venezuela, but they rarely spent big money and rarely competed for top players.

In the Dominican Republic, in particular, the Twins were a virtual non-factor.

“We were shackled in the D.R. for a long, long time because we never had a facility,” said Twins vice president of player personnel Mike Radcliff, who oversaw the club’s international scouting for more than two decades.

“For a long time, going back