3 options for replacing Alex Kirilloff this offseason

It didn't take long for the Minnesota Twins list of offseason tasks to both grow in size and complexity.

A day after the season ended in the ALDS, the Twins announced that Alex Kirilloff would undergo surgery on his non-throwing arm. It's a procedure that will likely knock him out of action for the next 4-6 months and all but guarantees he starts the season on the 60-day IL.

Minnesota already had some questions it needed to answer about roster construction heading into the winter but the injury to Kirilloff moves the need to figure things out at first base near the top of hte list.

The offseason hasn't yet officially started, but the Twins have a few interesting options for replacing Kirilloff to start pondering for when it does.

Sign an affordable free agent

The Twins aren't going to have a ton of money to splurge in free agency, as there are still some pretty serious questions about the payroll for 2024. The whole drama with Sinclair and Bally Sports North is annoying beyond just wondering how fans will be able to watch games, as a sizable revenue stream has been cut off.

Minnesota will still have around $50 million to spend, a number expertly outlined by Aaron Gleeman over at The Atheltic, and the front office would be wise to at least look at using some of that on a free agent first baseman.

Rhys Hoskins is a name that jumps out, as he's coming off a torn ACL and might not be as pricey as he once was. He was a key contributor to the Phillies World Series team in 2022, which is something that will likely intrigue other teams around the league as well and potentially create some competition in the market for Minnesota.

If Hoskins is out of the Twins price range, C.J. Cron would be an excellent second option. He's already spent time with the Twins and there were rumors that he might be a guy the team traded for at the deadline. Cron remains an interesting candidate to circle back to, as he'd fill the need for an everyday first baseman with Kirilloff out but could provide an option at DH when he returns.

Other potential free agent options to consider at the right price include:

• Joey Votto
• Ji-man Choi
• Carlos Santana
• Matt Carpenter (he has a $5.5M player-option with St. Louis so TDB on whether he hits the market)