FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Spring Training is the time when most clubs determine how they are going to fill the holes on their roster.

But as the Twins prepare to open up their Spring Training game schedule when they host the Red Sox on Wednesday night at 6:05 CT live on MLB.TV, there are very few questions surrounding which 25 players will break camp with the ballclub.

The team's five starting pitchers are set. With the addition of third baseman Joe Crede this week, the infield has no question marks. The club has five outfielders to rotate in the three outfield spots and designated hitter. And even the bench roles appear close to being determined.

Still, one question that the Twins will try to answer this spring is how they'll fill the eighth-inning setup role.

The club made an effort to search for late-inning relief help on the free-agent and trade market. Although the club signed right-hander Luis Ayala to a one-year deal shortly before spring due to his experience in the setup role, the job is considered to be an open competition.

Right-handers Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier and left-hander Jose Mijares are all expected to battle for time in the spot along with Ayala. And right now it's anybody's job.

"It's a little bit of a competition, which is always fun," said Guerrier, who was the club's primary eighth-inning reliever in 2008. "I think we can all do it. Obviously, guys have done better in the setup spot at certain times, and we've all kind of struggled in it, too. I think we're all excited to get another opportunity to throw in that spot."

The eighth inning is a spot of interest for the Twins based upon the struggles the club's 'pen faced over the final two months of last season. The group posted a 5-15 record after Aug. 4 and finished the year with a 3.91 ERA, ranking them sixth in the American League. It marked the first time in six years that the bullpen didn't rank among the top five in the league.

Yet even with virtually the same group of relievers returning for the Twins, besides a swap of Ayala for lefty Dennys Reyes, the club feels confident that a repeat of the woes won't occur.

"I told every one of the bullpen guys, 'That is all behind us, and now it's time to start fresh,'" pitching coach Rick Anderson said. "I have no question that these kids are going to be better."

There were a number of factors that the Twins feel contributed to last year's troubles for the 'pen. With a young and inexperienced starting staff, a large amount of work was given to the bullpen early in the season. That workload was increased even more for some pitchers after Pat Neshek went down with his elbow injury in early May.

Guerrier was likely the pitcher most affected. He finished the year tied for the AL lead in appearances with 76, making 45 of those before the All-Star break.

Part of the reason Guerrier was used so much early was due to the Twins wanting to protect Crain in his first season following shoulder surgery.

By using Crain cautiously, the Twins were able to keep him healthy throughout the season. He suffered no setbacks and was able make over 60 appearances out of the 'pen while posting a 3.59 ERA.

But although Crain was able to regain his velocity in the mid-90s, he felt the effects of having worked all winter just to get back on the mound. He said that by midseason, he started getting tired and his slider "turned into a cutter."

Now that his arm is feeling the way it did pre-surgery, Crain's focus this spring is on regaining the consistency that had once made him one of the top relievers in the game.

"You need to be able to throw the ball where you want to and be able to throw every single day," Crain said. "Last year, I was just happy to be out there at the start of the season. I reached my goal of finishing the season without being hurt as well. Now it's about getting my slider back and doing the things I need to do to be successful."

The Twins expect Crain to build upon last season and Guerrier to rebound from his 5.19 ERA, his highest since posting a 3.39 ERA in 2005.

"Two years ago, where would we have been without Matty?" Anderson said in reference to Guerrier's 88 innings and 2.35 ERA in 2007. "He had the rough second half last year, but I thought it was mostly mental. He was tired and he was pressing. But Matt Guerrier will be back, I have no question."

The Twins added another experienced setup option in Ayala, who in addition to setting up Nationals closer Chad Cordero back in 2007 was also the Mets' closer down the stretch last season, converting 9 of 11 save opportunities.

And perhaps the most intriguing of all the eighth-inning options is left-hander Jose Mijares. Despite having never pitched an inning at Triple-A, Mijares was called up in September and became a sensation by posting a 0.87 ERA in 10 appearances. He retired 31 of the 34 batters he faced, allowing just one run on three hits.

While it likely won't be known exactly who will fill the eighth-inning role until the regular season starts, this spring is the first chance for these pitchers to audition for the role.

With so many options, there is a chance that the Twins could once again use a mix-and-match approach for the eighth inning this season. But the preference would be for the club to have one or two key guys for the spot.

"You always like to have roles set up," manager Ron Gardenhire said of his bullpen. "We've been fortunate enough to have that, but last year was just one of those where we couldn't get a hot guy in the eighth inning. ... Most of the time when you're running your bullpen and you've got it going good, when the phone rings, they pretty much know it will be one or two guys that will be up. You'd like to have that situation. Hopefully, this year we can."