Best remaining free agent first baseman Twins could target this offseason

We all know that starting pitching is by far the biggest need the Minnesota Twins have this offseason, but it's not the only area of the roster that needs to be addressed.

Centerfield might be the biggest positional question the Twins need to figure out, but a close second could be what happens at first base. The offseason began with news that Alex Kirilloff was undergoing surgery, and while the prognosis seems more positive than initially expected it remains unclear when he'll be able to have an impact.

There's a very real possibilty that the Twins start the season without Kirilloff fully healthy, which puts them in an identical situation as last spring. Minnesota signed Donovan Solano to help add some depth at first base, but also platooned with Joey Gallo until he got hurt.

Even if Kirilloff is healthy enough to start on Opening Day, the Twins will need depth behind him to ensure the lineups don't run into issues. Money is an issue thanks to a reduced payroll, but there are a handful of free agent options the Twins would be wise to consider to help add some depth and power.

Best available free agent first baseman

Note: This ranking will be updated as players sign and are taken off the board for the Twins.

• Rhys Hoskins (2.3 WAR)
• Carlos Santana (2.7 WAR)
• Brandon Belt (36, 2.4 WAR)
• Donovan Solano (36, 1.8 WAR)
• Garrett Cooper (1.6 WAR)
• Ji Man Choi (0.8 WAR)
• C.J. Cron (0.8 WAR)
• Mike Ford (0.4 WAR)
• Trey Mancini (0.2 WAR)
• Dominic Smith (0.0 WAR)
• Eric Hosmer (-0.1 WAR)
• Rowdy Tellez (-0.1 WAR)
• Jake Lamb (-0.2 WAR)
• Luke Voit (-0.2 WAR)
• Jesús Aguilar (-0.8 WAR)
• Joey Votto (-0.8 WAR)
• Yuli Gurriel (-1.4 WAR)

By far the best option for the Twins is Rhys Hoskins, who could sign on a Cody Bellinger-type deal to help parlay a strong season into a monster free agent deal next offseason. Hoskins is coming off an ACL injury and has been boxed out of a role with the Phillies thanks fo Bryce Harper moving to first.

He'd be a pricey gamble, but one that could pay off big. Hoskins turning in a season like what Bellinger did for the Cubs feels like the type of addition that gives the roster some World Series edge. Kirilloff is the guy Minnesota would like to have as their first baseman of the future, but having Hoskins alongside him Batman and Robin-ing the position would be a dream.

It's a bit of a long shot considering other teams are thinking the same thing the Twins are, and Hoskins isn't going to come cheap. More realistic options might be guys like C.J. Cron, Eric Hosmer, and Trey Mancini.

Both Joey Votto and Brandon Belt fit the bill of aged veterans the Twins like to bring in and see if they can wring out a few final vintage performances from. Neither would be particularly expensive but they're a much slimmer margin for success.

Minnesota could also bring back Donovan Solano, who already checks the boxes the team is looking at and has already been down this road of complimenting Kirilloff in the lineup.

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