3 moves Twins need to make after Shohei Ohtani signs with Dodgers
By Josh Hill
Nail down a plan in centerfield
Minnesota has a $15 million centerfielder who can't play the field or stay healthy enough to play a full season. Among all the other questions the team has around the roster, there's an argument to be made that this is the biggest hinge on which the offense swings.
Pitching should clearly be prioritized, but the lack of Buxton in the lineup was noticeable all season. Either he was out and the team needed to navigate around or he was playing and slumping worse than we've ever seen. Buxton went hitless in at least 20 plate appearances on two separate occasions last year -- things were bad.
He wasn't healthy, which explains a lot, but it doesn't make the decision on what to do next any easier.
Buxton being healthy enough to reclaim his role as the everyday centerfielder is the ideal scenario. He has surgery this offseason to hopefully take care of the issues that were ailing him and a return to form would give Minnesota one of the best players in the league. That's why the addition of Carlos Correa was so appealing, as it meant at any given time the Twins would have two Top 50 players in their lineup and out in the field.
Health has always been an issue for Buck, though, it means another offseason where the Twins need to account for potentially not having him available. Austin Martin is set to be the next prospect in the youth movement to make the leap and he can help fill in, as can utility guys like Nick Gordon and Willi Castro.
Money is an issue, but if the Twins use Polanco, Kepler, and/or Kyle Farmer to acquire a pitcher then perhaps some of the payroll can be dedicated to landing an impact free agent to supplement Buxton. Both Kevin Kiermaier and Harrison Bader have been talked about as potential fits, as has Adam Duvall. There's also the possibility of bringing back Taylor, although he might get priced out of the Twins range.
Starting pitching is the most important area the Twins need to focus on, but centerfield is a very close second as it's something that needs to be addressed before it's allowed to become a problem.
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