MINNEAPOLIS — Right-hander Livan Hernandez and the Minnesota Twins agreed today to a $5 million, one-year contract that could earn him an additional $2 million in performance bonuses.

The Twins are short on experience in their rotation, after trading Johan Santana and losing Carlos Silva as a free agent this winter. Hernandez will join a handful of young starting pitching candidates, including Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Boof Bonser, Kevin Slowey, Nick Blackburn, and Phil Humber, when batterymen have their first official spring training workout Monday at Fort Myers, Fla.

Last season, Hernandez made $7 million while going 11-11 with a 4.93 ERA in 33 starts for Arizona. He pitched for the Diamondbacks in the NL championship series.

Hernandez, a native of Cuba, has been quite durable over 10-plus years in the majors, logging at least 199 innings each season since 1998. As a rookie in 1997, he won a World Series with the Florida Marlins.