MLB insider lists two key areas the Twins will focus on this offseason

With the Winter Meetings right around the corner, the Minnesota Twins are among the teams assessing the lay of the offseason land to determine what the right path forward should be. Money is the main obstacle, as it seems unlikely that the Twins will be adding much to the payroll -- if anything at all.

That's a major bummer not only from a roster construction standpoint but how much it's going to further kill vibes around Twins Territory. Last offseason the Pohlad's tightening the purse strings eventually led to the team running out of gas before the finish line and crashing out of playoff contention.

The good news is that the family is mercifully selling the team, but TBD on when there's any actual movement on that front.

For now, there's a sour taste still in the mouths of many Twins fans and the fact that we're about to run back the same uninspired strategy leaves a lot to be desired. An unwillingness to spend is even more frustrating knowing that there are areas on the roster that need to get some attention this offseason.

Twins expected to address two key areas of the roster this winter

MLB insider Jim Bowden checked in on every front office in the league, and noted that the Twins are likely to prioritize pitching depth and a replacement in right field for the departing Max Kepler. Neither is particularly earth shattering in terms of expectations, but it at least start to set some sort of path forward for the team this winter.

"They’ll spend the winter trying to add more pitching depth and a complementary right-handed-hitting corner outfielder, likely without adding to the team’s payroll. Don’t expect huge moves from the Twins this offseason; rather, they will be tinkering in those areas," Bowden wrote.

Kepler leaving is a bummer but replacing him might actually be the easiest of the two needs the Twins must address. Even if Kepler had stayed there was about to be a logjam in the outfield not dissimilar from the one in the infield that led to Jorge Polanco being traded last winter.

It seems likely that Emmanuel Rodriguez will make his debut next season and might even compete for an Opening Day roster spot in Spring Training. Minnesota also has Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, and Austin Martin to rover around the outfield in addition to minor league veterans like and Michael Helman and DeShawn Kiersey Jr., who both auditioned for roles in September.

Pitching is a little trickier, as the Twins have interesting arms in the system but not ones that are mature enough to have the type of immediate impact needed. If the idea is to avoid adding to the payroll, then Minnesota will be gambling on guys like David Festa and Zebby Matthews taking a step forward in their development as well as the health of Matt Canterino. That's why if there's an area where the team is allowed to invest in, pitching would make the most sense.

Of course, the easiest solution to this is if ownership just lightened up a little bit and got more serious about putting a winning product on the field. The Twins have pieces that theoretically could work, but having two clear areas of need and no well-defined path to fill those other than hopes and wishes isn't really encouraging.

More Minnesota Twins news and rumors