Span faces Twins for first time since trade

WASHINGTON -- Outfielder Denard Span still has warm feelings for the Twins even though they traded him to the Nationals last November.

Span actually thought he would be in Minnesota for a long time because, as he put it, he signed a team-friendly contract, which was five years, $16.5 million, in 2010.

"I thought I would be there the entire time," Span said. "But I learned a lot in Minnesota over the years, not just baseball, just how to deal with things in life. Just another life lesson on business, the game, how to approach life."

Span acknowledged that it's a strange feeling to see the Twins on the opposite side of the field. In fact, when we watches them on TV sometimes, he still refer to them as we instead of them.

"It's still an adjustment," Span said. "Honestly, I was starting to move on. I'm a National. Now, they are coming to town. I feel like it's Spring Training and the trade just happened,"

While with the Twins, Span said players such as Joe Nathan, Michael Cuddyer and Jim Thome took Span under their wing, but it was Cuddyer who was most influential.

"I give him a lot of credit. He was on me a lot," Span said. "Mike Redmond as well. They were on me a lot. … I realize the things they were trying to teach me."