Ranking the Twins Top 3 positions of need, and players who could fill in the gap

Minnesota Twins Need No. 3: Starting Pitcher

I’m sure some people’s first thought when reading this will be “How can starters not be first? This is ridiculous. The rotation is the worst in baseball.” I encourage you to reconsider that thought process.

For starters, the Twins rotation is good. Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle, Joe Ryan, Kenta Maeda, and Bailey Ober make up a very solid group, and with Simeon Woods Richardson, Louie Varland, and Josh Winder waiting in the wings, the team has a lot more depth than it did last year too.

What it doesn’t have, however, is an ace. There isn’t a clear pitcher on this staff who can go up against a Max Scherzer or a Justin Verlander and inspire confidence. The Twins don’t necessarily need one of those guys, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt.

With next-to-nothing left on the market, the Minnesota Twins have been active in the trade market, and while I don’t think Pablo Lopez is the answer (especially not worth trading Arraez, Kirilloff, Lewis, Larnach, or Lee for), there are some arms that might be available.

Max Fried could be available in a trade with the situation with the Braves deteriorating. If the Arizona Diamondbacks continue to struggle, the Twins could have the right combination to ship Lee and Lewis to bring in one of baseball’s best young arms. Maybe the New York Yankees dangle Frankie Montas after an unsuccessful half year in the Bronx.

Pablo Lopez doesn’t move the needle for the Twins, so if they can’t get a better pitcher than him via trade, the team should roll with the group they have and reassess at the deadline when the pool of talent available is deeper.

Minnesota Twins Need No. 2: Relief Pitcher

Relief pitcher has been a definitive need since last season, and after last year’s trade deadline didn’t quite patch things up for the Minnesota Twins bullpen, the group could use some help once again.

The back end of this group is pretty solid. Jhoan Duran was one of the best relievers in baseball last season, and the team will once again look for him to face the best that opponents have to offer. Joining him are Jorge Lopez, Caleb Thielbar, and a now-healthy Jorge Alcala, three relievers who form a very good group when they’re on.

It’s the other relievers that are question marks. Emilio Pagan had a very good second half, and both he and Jovani Moran have looked very capable at times. Cole Sands, Trevor Megill, and Ronny Henriquez have shown some good flashes. Put them all together and it’s a decent group. Just not a really good one.

The team can easily fix this though. Andrew Chafin would instantly give the Twins a lockdown setup man. Michael Fulmer and Matt Moore would offer more stability. Even Aroldis Chapman might be worth a roll of the dice.

The team shouldn’t go into the year with the current group, and it’s really unlikely they do. Adding Chafin (or Fulmer) to this current Minnesota Twins roster would be a massive boost, so they should strike now before they miss their shot.

Minnesota Twins Need No. 1: Right-Handed Outfielder

The biggest issue that the Twins currently have is in their outfield. This might seem a big confusing, considering Byron Buxton, Trevor Larnach, Alex Kirilloff, Joey Gallo, and a shift-free Max Kepler are on this team, but it’s a little more specific than that. The team needs a right-handed hitter.

Buxton is your everyday starter until he gets hurt, Gallo is exclusively a lefty-only batter, Kirilloff will also have to play first, and we haven’t seen enough of Larnach to know if he’s truly the guy or not.

To make matters worse, outside of Buxton, all of those guys are lefties, the team knows it needs some help in this area, as it has already been in contact with A.J. Pollock and Andrew McCutchen. Now, with both of those players signed, Trey Mancini signed, and Kyle Garlick designated for assignment to make room for Correa, the Twins’ need is even greater.

In free agency, there aren’t many options available. Robbie Grossman is a switch-hitter who is dominant against lefties and is well-liked as a former Twin. Adam Duvall is a lefty killer and would be a good option. Jurickson Profar is a switch-hitter with a ton of versatility, but he’s merely solid against lefties.

Each of these options would help fill the need, but it’s unlikely we see any move until Max Kepler has been dealt. Regardless, if the Twins make a deal at any of these three spots, the team would become a lot stronger.