The Twins don’t have a glaring positional roster hole besides first base. Jose Miranda and Edouard Julien are the leading internal candidates at first, but it’s not the primary defensive position for either player.
Falvey didn’t rule out a free-agent signing for a first baseman, including a reunion with Gold Glove winner Carlos Santana, but that would likely require a trade to create additional room in the Twins payroll.
“Jose Miranda is a guy that we’ve already talked to about making sure he gets some of that exposure there,” Falvey said. “We’re going to have to lean on some of the internal guys to take on some of those at-bats, for sure, at least in terms of a backup consideration. Then we’ll just have to see how the offseason plays out.”
The rest of the position player group, barring a trade, is more straightforward. Matt Wallner will likely absorb some of the at-bats from departing free agent Max Kepler. Byron Buxton will start in center field with Trevor Larnach, Austin Martin and Castro, if he returns, filling the rest of the outfield.
Royce Lewis might see more time at second base. It’s a conversation that already started at the end of the season — Lewis started one game at second — but it could allow Miranda to spend more time at third if the Twins add a regular first baseman.
“Some of that will depend on the personnel we acquire, don’t acquire and how that all shakes out,” Falvey said of Lewis at second base. “We want him to stay open-minded to that and we’ll have that conversation.”
