3 options for replacing Alex Kirilloff this offseason

Re-sign Donovan Solano

If free agency is the route Minnesota goes to replace Kirilloff, it might not have to look very far.

Donovan Solano ended up being the top-notch acquisition he appeared to be when the Twins signed him during Spring Training. He was brought in to provide some depth at first with Kirilloff starting the season on the IL and to account for the loss of Luis Arraez in the Pablo Lopez trade.

The plan worked perfectly.

Solano was able to play first until Kirilloff returned but also spent time at second base as Jorge Polanco dealt with injuries for the first part of the season. His defense at first was excellent and he finished with career-highs in hits and RBI. Some of that was due to him playing more than he ever has before, but that was a nice litmus test for how impactful he could be as an everyday player.

He knows the Twins and they know him, which makes for a seamless transition to bring him back in the same role he was brought here to play in the first place. Solano's market value is also within the Twins price range, as he'd likely cost around $5.4M and might be able to get talked into an even more team-friendly deal.

A lot of this depends on what the Twins see as the best way to navigate the future at first base. Solano probably won't be an option if the team wants to look at someone like Rhys Hoskins as a long-term replacement, but that's a larger philosophical question about how much the team values Kirilloff in the big picture.

Solano is an easy interim solution, as the Twins could do worse than running it back with one of the more reliable veterans from this past season.