DUNEDIN, Fla. - None of the four contenders in the Twins right field race is making it easy on Manager Ron Gardenhire. And he likes it that way.

Michael Cuddyer, Brian Buchanan, Dustan Mohr and Bobby Kielty all are hitting better than .300 this spring. All of them are good defenders or have improved their games since last season. And all four hustle and add clubhouse intangibles to the team.

And anyone tracking this sprint knows that every time one player seems to take a lead, one or all the others make a move, too. On Monday in Dunedin, center fielder Kielty hit his first home of the spring and made a great diving play, while Cuddyer made a nice running catch in right and Mohr finished the game in center and made two outstanding catches.

"That's what we want, they don't need to make it any easier on me," Gardenhire said. "They all know the situation and they're all trying their best."

Three weeks into Spring Training and Gardenhire said he still is not in a position to make a roster move or eliminate one of the four from the competition.

"They're all continue to be in the mix and I'm not ready to say 'this guy has an edge' or 'that guy looks better,' " Gardenhire said. "There's still plenty of time for everything to shake out. The bottom line is we're going to do what's best for this team when the time is right."

Cuddyer, 23, is a 6-2 215-pound former first round pick (1997) who has played mostly third base in his pro career. But the Twins have blossoming star Corey Koskie at third and no interest in moving him. So, Cuddyer learned to play several other positions, including right field, in the Arizona Fall League last year.

Cuddyer is one of the Twins' top prospects and he will find a spot in the lineup at some point and most likely stay there for quite a while.

"I'm just going out there and doing the best I can," Cuddyer said. "All I asked for is an opportunity to show what I can do and they have given me that. It's just a matter of playing up to your capabality."

Gardenhire likes the fact that Cuddyer has adapted quickly to his new position.

"He has great instincts in the outfield," Gardenhire said. "He improves every time he plays."

But Gardenhire already is on record as saying Cuddyer will only make the team as a starter. Otherwise, Cuddyer will go to Triple-A, a level he skipped last season.

"Whatever Gardy decides, that will be alright with me," Cuddyer said. "Obviously I want to be in the Major Leagues just like all the rest of the guys. Personally, I feel that we're all going to play somewhere at some point, they're that good."

Buchanan, 6-4 and 230, is a former Yankees first-round pick who was one of four players traded for Chuck Knoblauch in 1998. At 29, he has improved his defensive game and is hitting .300 this spring. But he has been playing catch-up after missing time early with a wrist injury. The scouting report on him says he might be capable of hitting 40 homers in the Majors. He hit 27 in 364 at-bats with Salt Lake in 2000.

"He's always been able to hit," Gardenhire said. "He is a presence for this team on the field and at bat."

Buchanan did not play Monday but he is hitting .300 in 40 at-bats this spring.

Mohr, 25, is a 6-1 210-pound right-hander. He is hitting .421 this spring. He also has shown power in the minors, smacking 24 homers at New Britain last season, where he hit a career-high .336. He said he knows it's all up to him to continue to impress the right people.

"I can't worry about anybody but myself out there," Mohr said. "I'm not out there trying to outdo anybody. I'm just trying to play my game."

And Mohr's game has the potential to get good reviews all the way around.

"I would be fine with (Mohr) playing right field every day," Gardenhire said. "He has been very impressive."

Kielty, 25, is a 6-1, 225-pound switch-hitter. He probably does not have as much power potential as the other three but he can play all three outfield positions and has a little more speed than Mohr and Cuddyer and a lot more than Buchanan.

Kielty said he doesn't like to think of the situation as a four-way battle.

"We are all playing well right now," Kielty said. "We're all playing our games and we're doing our best to make it a tough decision. And that's what I want to make it."

The important thing about Kielty's home run on Monday was that he hit it left-handed.

"He stayed on that ball, gave it a nice swing and hit it out," Gardenhire said. "Versatility is a big part of his game."

Gardenhire may have options, too, because Kielty and Mohr can play center or left, if needed, and Buchanan certainly can come off the bench to pinch-hit.

"I'm not sure how it's all going to play out," Gardenhire said. "We need to continue to look at it from all different angles and how the best players make this team better."

Gardenhire said he hoped the decision would not go down to the final day of Spring Training but, from the way they are performing, the four outfielders have no plans to back down from the challenge.

"What makes this tough, and fun, is that we're all good friends," Mohr said. "I root for them and they root for me."