5 offseason moves the Minnesota Twins need to make

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 04: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Nelson Cruz #23 of the Minnesota Twins follows through on a third inning home run against the New York Yankees in game one of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 04, 2019 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Twins 10-4. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

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4. Upgrade the fourth outfielder spot

As long as Byron Buxton keeps running into walls with reckless abandon and otherwise struggles to stay on the field, someone else will be playing a fair amount in centerfield for the Twins. Kepler can play there if needed, and do so competently, but he’s best set in a corner outfield spot never to move.

No offense intended to Jake Cave, but he’s a replacement-level player overall and an occasional butcher in the outfield whose exposure to even a hint of extended playing time has to be limited. Lamont Wade Jr. is a young player with some promise, but he hardly looks like a future fixture of any sort. Ideally, Buxton will be able to shake the injury bug and start being able to offer his elite center field defense and adequate offense for 120-140 games every year. But until shown otherwise, the contingency plan has to be better.

Among free agent options who could be signed as a fourth outfielder, Jarrod Dyson, Gerardo Parra, Juan Lagares and Billy Hamilton stand out to some degree. All are veterans who can fill a role, and in the case of Lagares and Hamilton they are high-level defensive outfielders.

It won’t be expensive for the Twins to sign a fourth outfielder. Breaking off a piece of the payroll to not have to rely on someone like Cave if/when Buxton is out is well worth the reasonable one- or two-year deal it would take to get it done.

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