FORT MYERS, Fla. -- On the wall of Twins general manager Bill Smith's office at Hammond Stadium is a chart of the 40-man rosters for all 30 Major League clubs.

One look at the rosters and there is a clear difference in the depth that teams possess at the catching position. While some teams, such as the Twins, have as many as five catchers on their 40-man roster, others have as few as one.

Catching depth might not seem so important when you have an All-Star catcher such as Joe Mauer.

But with Mauer limited this spring after undergoing surgery to eliminate a kidney obstruction, there is a possibility that Minnesota could carry three catchers on the roster when it breaks camp in early April.

The Twins know they are fortunate to have catching depth, should they need it, since other teams are still searching for it.

"In the last decade, catching has been tough to come by," Smith said. "And we are very pleased that we've got the type of catching in our system that we do.

It was just a few years ago that the Twins didn't have a lot of catching options in the upper levels of their Minor League system. Smith said the club put a focus on adding to their depth behind the plate.

So far, it appears to be paying off.

"Catching is a hard thing to find in baseball, I think every organization would tell you the same thing," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "But we have some talented kids."

The two established catchers that the Twins currently possess are the envy of any team. Mauer's prowess at the catching position, as well as at the plate, has placed him among the league's elite players. The club also is considered to have one of the best backup catchers in the game in Mike Redmond.

Since Mauer is expected to miss games early in spring, the club will have a chance to look at some of its catching prospects. That includes the three other catchers currently on the 40-man roster: Drew Butera, Jose Morales and Wilson Ramos.

Morales, who turns 26 on Friday, is the only one of the three with Major League experience -- albeit limited. A former infielder who was converted to catcher after he was drafted, Morales made his debut with the Twins in a game at U.S. Cellular Field on Sept. 8, 2007. He went 3-for-3 in that game, but he also injured himself while sliding into second base. The catcher tore ligaments in his ankle and was hampered by the injury for nearly all of last season while at Triple-A Rochester.

Morales still managed to bat .315 while playing through the pain, but in August it got to be too much. An MRI revealed that he needed a new ligament in his ankle and doctors performed surgery similar to the one pitchers have on their elbows -- taking a tendon and making it into a ligament.

Morales said he now feels like a different player -- one who can run, hit and catch without pain.

Just a few days into camp, the Twins coaching staff has noticed a change in Morales, and they hope that he can spend a little more time working behind the plate now that he's healthy.

"He's still developing as a catcher, but this kid can hit," Gardenhire said. "If he can get in there and take the beating of every day, he could be another really, really solid Mike Redmond-type guy -- a solid backup catcher with offense."

Butera, who was acquired by the Twins in the Luis Castillo trade with the Mets, appears to be the most defensively sound of the three prospects. Last year, Gardenhire raved about the catch-and-throw ability of Butera, 24, and said the catcher could play defensively in a Major League game without a problem.

The question with Butera is his offense. After batting .219 in 96 games at Double-A New Britain last year, Butera has been working on improving his bat and hitting coach Joe Vavra said Wednesday that he's already noticed a difference.

But of all the Twins' catching prospects, the one that possesses the most upside is Ramos.

Ramos, 21, is the youngest of the three and played at Class A Fort Myers last season. But he's already been turning heads with his power in early batting-practice sessions this spring. He's coming off a strong performance in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he batted .317 with four home runs and 25 RBIs in 44 regular-season games for Tigres de Aragua.

"This Ramos kid is the real deal," Gardenhire said. "You're looking at a starting catcher."

Further down in the Twins' system, the catching depth is not quite as robust. But with some teams still searching to find a backup catcher for their rosters, the club doesn't take for granted the fact that there are options behind the plate at the Major League level.

"Our scouting staff has worked hard to find these catchers, and our development staff has worked hard to develop them," Smith said. "Hopefully we can keep pushing guys up the Minor League ladder and have them ready when needed."