Top free agent first basemen the Twins could target this offseason
There are a few decent options for Minnesota when it comes to solving things at first base.
Minnesota Twins fans have been in offseason mode since the end of September, the result of the team missing the postseason in truly upsetting fashion. We all know what happened and won't waste time picking at old wounds, but the way the season ended only highlights how critical is is for the team to figure out a plan this winter.
There are some pretty notable caveats to any sort of moves Minnesota makes in the offseason. First and foremost is wondering whether ownership will take things seriously enough to meaningfullly invest in the team. With the Pohlads stunning announcement that the Twins are up for sale, it would behoove them to make some renovations to the proverbial house before finding a new owner.
Even if further greed can't motivate the Pohlads, the fact of the matter is they own a product that is defective and needs to be fixed. The Twins were a fine team for most of the season but their flaws came out in truly brutal fashion down the stretch.
One of those areas for improvement is at first base, where there's no clear answer about what to do.
Top free agent first baseman the Minnesota Twins could target this winter
Alex Kirilloff is once again entering an offseason where his health is a major quesiton mark. He also might have eroded trust in the clubhouse, which is a bad combo to have when up for arbitration this winter.
If Kirilloff isn't back, the question becomes who could replace him at first. Jose Miranda is an in-house option, but he's back to being on the fringes of Minnesota's plans moving forward. Carlos Santana is probably winning a Gold Glove for his defense, but the Twins would need to give him a new contract.
Running it back with Santana makes sense, but if the Twins are going to hand out money to fill the void then assessing the free agent landscape at first base seems like a good idea.
Player | Age | WAR | 2024 Team |
|---|---|---|---|
Christian Walker | 34 | 6.8 | Diamondbacks |
Pete Alonso | 30 | 5.0 | Mets |
Carlos Santana | 39 | 4.5 | Twins |
Paul Goldschmidt | 37 | 4.4 | Cardinals |
Ryan O'Hearn | 31 | 3.2 | Orioles |
Justin Turner | 40 | 2.2 | Blue Jays/Mariners |
Wilmer Flores | 33 | 1.6 | Giants |
Anthony Rizzo | 35 | 0.5 | Yankees |
Josh Bell | 32 | 0.2 | Diamondbacks |
Rhys Hoskins | 32 | 0.1 | Brewers |
Joey Gallo is also a free agent this winter and had a positive 0.6 WAR, but it seems unlikely that there will be a reunion. Some other names that could pop up in the conversation are Yuli Gurriel and Rowdy Tellez, but they both finished the year with negative WAR.
The names at the bottom of the list seem to be the ones that make the most sense as potential fits. Jim Bowden over at The Athletic named Minnesota a 'best fit' for Rhys Hoskins and there was a groundswell of fan support last winter for the team to sign him.
They didn't then and chances are they won't pay sticker price to get him now. If the Twins do add an outside first baseman it's likely going to be someone cut from the Yuli Gurriel or Ji Man Choi cloth, rather than a smarter move like adding a veteran leader like Anthony Rizzo or Paul Goldschmidt.
Either way, the Twins need to figure something out at first base, as we're entering another winter wondering who will keep the bag warm next season.
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