FORT MYERS, FLA. -- During the mid-'90s, Michael Cuddyer, Bobby Kielty, Dustan Mohr, Michael Restovich, Mike Ryan and Lew Ford wouldn't have competed for one starting job in the Twins' lineup, as they will this season.

They might have been two-thirds of the lineup, with Cuddyer playing third, Restovich at designated hitter, Kielty at first, Ford in center, Ryan in left and Mohr in right.

Now that the Twins are contenders, those six will compete for one starting job -- in right field. "The depth we have at that position is unbelievable," manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Today, the Twins will hold the first full-squad workout of spring training. It only seems like most of the players are right fielders.

Here's how the division of labor could work:

• Cuddyer will get every chance to win the starting job. "I want to see what he can do out there," Gardenhire said.

Said Cuddyer: "It's an awesome feeling, coming in thinking you've got a chance."

• Kielty could be the fourth outfielder, because he can play all three outfield positions, switch hit and pinch hit. "That's not something I want to do," Kielty said. "I want to start. But this is where you have to prove you can do more."

• If Cuddyer and Kielty play well this spring, Mohr is likely to be the fifth outfielder, although Gardenhire said either Mohr or Kielty is capable of winning the starting job.

If Mohr is a reserve, Gardenhire plans to get Kielty and Mohr at-bats at DH and by either resting Cuddyer a couple of times a week or moving him to the infield.

"It's an unusual situation, but each of us brings something different to the table," Mohr said.

Gardenhire said Ryan, who hit 31 homers at Class AAA last season, has an outside chance to make the team. He impressed Gardenhire when he was called up in September, and Gardenhire believes he would be able to hit coming off the bench -- a weakness of most young players.

Restovich, who hit 29 homers at Class AAA last season, remains one of the Twins' top prospects, but he's in the situation Cuddyer found himself in last season: If he isn't going to play every day, he will go to Class AAA for more seasoning.

"I think it says a lot about us as friends, that we can stay friends," Restovich said. "You see a lot of situations where guys have a hard time being cordial, because they're fighting for the same job. Dustan and Cuddy were in my wedding this winter."

Ford is the most recent addition to this competition. He was the Twins' minor league player of the year last season and is the best pure center fielder of the group, but he finds his way blocked by a remarkable amount of talent.

Three of the six right fielders say they expect a trade to clear the logjam at the position. But the Twins are in no hurry to deal good young players, and they want to have a powerhouse team at Class AAA Rochester, their new affiliate.

"I don't see making a deal," Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said. "With these guys, we have flexibility and depth. I don't believe you can have too much talent."

Cuddyer, Kielty, Mohr and Restovich are good friends and work out together during the winter in Fort Myers. "I live 10 minutes from the beach in Virginia, and I went to the beach about five times in my life before this winter," Cuddyer said. "Dustan had me going out there every day for about three weeks here."

But sun isn't the reason Cuddyer's hair turned golden. "I guess I got bored," he said with a laugh. "The guys have given me so much grief, I'm going to have to cut it off."

The Twins' lineup could be electric this season if Cuddyer fulfills his promise. He was the ninth pick in the 1997 draft and moved from shortstop to third to the outfield in search of a position.

This week, taking batting practice with a team that went to the American League Championship Series, Cuddyer is displaying as much power as anyone on the roster.

"Now I think he's to the point where not only can he be a solid outfielder, I think he's athletic enough to put at third or first or even second," Gardenhire said.

It isn't unusual for Cuddyer, Mohr, Kielty and Restovich to make up a golf foursome. "Somebody will see us and say, 'What do you guys do?' " Restovich said. "We'll say, 'We're all right fielders.' The guy will say, 'What does that mean?' We'll say, 'We're all fighting for one job.' "

It is the subject of more humor than angst in the Twins' clubhouse. Asked about the competition the other day, Kielty went deadpan.

"Do you have the tape from last year?" Kielty said. "Just play that again. It's the same situation, only now we've got the minor league player of the year and a guy who hit 31 bombs last year.

"That's why I'm trying to bad-mouth them. They're really all jerks, but I don't want to bring that out into the open. Well, I guess I just brought it into the open.

"But really, this is a good thing for the organization."