Minnesota Twins Need No. 2: Shortstop
The Twins’ other major offensive need other than catcher is shortstop. As Carlos Correa rightly said, the Twins know his number, and the team just has to meet it if they want to keep him in Minnesota. It seems unlikely that they are going to, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t still try.
If the team isn’t going to offer Correa, the team likely won’t be willing to pony up for Xander Bogaerts, Dansby Swanson, or Trea Turner. That means the team still needs a shortstop, because for right now, they truly don’t have anyone.
Royce Lewis is out until June/July. Jermaine Palacios is gone. Austin Martin isn’t ready for the majors and definitely doesn’t look like a big league shortstop. Brooks Lee is at least a year away and looks like a third baseman. You’re definitely not moving Jorge Polanco back across the diamond or starting Nick Gordon for 60-70 games.
The team needs to sign someone. If it’s not a big name player, that means they feel comfortable rolling with Royce. That’s a good choice, but who they grab for the first half of the season is going to be key, especially with so few options on the market.
Jose Iglesias and Ehire Adrianza are there, but you’re not competing with either of them manning short for a long period of time. Elvis Andrus is a great shortstop who was stellar in his short run to end last year with the White Sox. He’s not reliable as a long term option, but he’d do a fine job of holding over.
Plain and simple, Carlos Correa needs to be back next year on a long term deal, with Brooks Lee as the answer at third, and Royce Lewis at second. If they can’t get him though, Andrus is a fine stopgap until Lewis returns.