3 moves Twins should make (and 2 to avoid) after signing Carlos Santana

Don't trade Max Kepler

At least, not yet.

Before the Twins traded Jorge Polanco there were rumblings that Max Kepler could be included to beef up Minnesota's return package. At the time we were all under the belief that the team was trying to find a No. 2 starter to replace Sonny Gray which ended up not being the case.

The Twins were fine dumping Polanco's salary and getting back high-upside pieces like Justin Topa, Gabriel Gonzalez, and Anthony DeSclafani -- the latter of whom will replace Kenta Maeda, not Sonny Gray, in the starting rotation.

With Polanco gone, Kepler is now the most valuable trade currency the Twins have and the best option might be to hang onto him until the trade deadline in July. There's already interest in the right fielder, as the Mariners inquired about the mega-deal that had been talked about in which Polanco and Kepler were packaged together. Minnesota reportedly nixed that idea which indicates a willingness to hang onto Kepler for the time being.

It makes sense on a few different levels. Kepler is a perfectly fine right fielder, one who is a productive part of the Twins lineup. There's also not a solid succession plan in place the way there was for Polanco at second base, as Matt Waller makes sense but is occupying left field. Trevor Larnach would be an option, but the best be ton him might be to wait and see if he helps create a logjam of outfield talent that makes Kepler expendable at the deadline.

Basically, why burn the currency now when you don't have to and it could appreciate in value over the next few months.