Twins using roster flexibility to their advantage

SAN DIEGO -- The big question for the Twins at these Winter Meetings, of course, is whether they can close a deal for an upper-tier starting pitcher. But that's not their only need, as they also appeared to create an opening in the corner infield when they non-tendered first baseman C.J. Cron.

But for the time being, it doesn't seem like there's as much urgency on that front.

Even though the Twins lost both Cron and 2019 Opening Day second baseman Jonathan Schoop to free agency, Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said that the presence of Marwin Gonzalez on the roster does allow the Twins to keep their options open moving forward. Luis Arraez is also primed to assume a starting role, while utility man Ehire Adrianza gives the Twins another capable option.

That's not to say they're closing the door on the idea altogether; it just allows them to stay flexible if a "unique opportunity" were to present itself, in Falvey's words.

"[We have] four guys that probably could have been penciled in as potential regulars," Falvey said. "I just would say that we're probably going to stay open-minded to what that looks like through either trade or the free-agent market, and that might take some more time to figure out."

Really, the Twins don't necessarily need to limit themselves to a corner infielder, as Falvey pointed out that Gonzalez can play all four infield positions, while Arraez has experience at both second and third base and Miguel Sanó maintains flexibility between third and first. There are no shortage of potential pieces -- internal and external -- that could complete that puzzle.

"If we were going to add a player, we could add the best player that we want instead of the best player at a certain position, because we have a bunch of guys that are not only capable of playing other positions, but that are also selfless and are generally willing to move around on the field for the betterment of the team," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "It does a lot of good."

Anthony Rendon and Josh Donaldson are the top infielders on the market, but are expected to garner significant, long-term contracts, which might not be ideal for the Twins due to the continued rise of potential infield options like Luke Raley, Brent Rooker, Alex Kirilloff and Royce Lewis, all of whom could be Major League ready relatively soon. That also includes middle infielder Nick Gordon, who spent 2019 in Triple-A Rochester.

Twins "getting close" to coaching hires

The Twins need to fill two more holes on their coaching staff following the departures of bench coach Derek Shelton (Pirates manager) and assistant pitching coach Jeremy Hefner (Mets pitching coach).

"It’s gone well, but as of right now, we don’t have anything to announce, but I think we made a ton of progress," Baldelli said. "Like I would say, these are the guys that make the most direct impact with our players on a regular basis. They’re going to be impactful hires when we make them, and I think we’re getting close."

The Twins already made one hire when they promoted Minor League field coordinator Edgar Varela to serve as their new hitting coach, replacing James Rowson, who departed to become the offensive coordinator and bench coach for the Miami Marlins after leading the most prolific home run-hitting offense in Major League history.

Speaking of unorthodox roles like that of the "offensive coordinator," Twins leadership isn't necessarily looking to limit the club's staffing structure to more traditional models, and the goal remains to find candidates that will bring solid contributions to the staff as a whole.

For example, Varela already brings a more unique skill set to his hitting coach role, as he spent his time as Minor League field coordinator, not only helping to sculpt the organization's offensive philosophy, but also providing assistance and training to other coaches in the system. He's expected to continue his work with assistant general manager Jeremy Zoll and player development director Alex Hassan in establishing an offensive philosophy throughout the organization.

"Could [the staff] be in a traditional setup? Sure, but I don’t think we’re bound by any of these traditional aspects of the staff," Baldelli said. "We just want the most impactful people in the right spots dealing with our guys."

The Twins have a staff largely short on Major League experience, as second-year manager Baldelli is joined by Varela and pitching coach Wes Johnson, who are both in their first MLB roles. But Baldelli said that prior experience isn't necessarily a more significant factor than others in the Twins' ongoing search.

"I think it’s one consideration, and truthfully, I think it’s a very important consideration, but I don’t think it’s always the end-all, be-all," Baldelli said. "I think the way all of these different qualities work together, we could find, probably, instances where we could add to our staff with years of experience, but we could also find a way to do it without actually adding a member that has a ton of experience and still do it in a great way."

• Offseason checklist: Twins' needs and moves

Even though the Twins lost both Cron and 2019 Opening Day second baseman Jonathan Schoop to free agency, Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said that the presence of Marwin Gonzalez on the roster does allow the Twins to keep their options open moving forward. Luis Arraez is also primed to assume a starting role, while utility man Ehire Adrianza gives the Twins another capable option.

That's not to say they're closing the door on the idea altogether; it just allows them to stay flexible if a "unique opportunity" were to present itself, in Falvey's words.

"[We have] four guys that probably could have been penciled in as potential regulars," Falvey said. "I just would say that we're probably going to stay open-minded to what that looks like through either trade or the free-agent market, and that might take some more time to figure out."

Really, the Twins don't necessarily need to limit themselves to a corner infielder, as Falvey pointed out that Gonzalez can play all four infield positions, while Arraez has experience at both second and third base and Miguel Sanó maintains flexibility between third and first. There are no shortage of potential pieces -- internal and external -- that could complete that puzzle.

"If we were going to add a player, we could add the best player that we want instead of the best player at a certain position, because we have a bunch of guys that are not only capable of playing other positions, but that are also selfless and are generally willing to move around on the field for the betterment of the team," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "It does a lot of good."

Anthony Rendon and Josh Donaldson are the top infielders on the market, but they are expected to garner significant, long-term contracts, which might not be ideal for the Twins due to the continued rise of potential infield options like Luke Raley, Brent Rooker, Alex Kirilloff and Royce Lewis, all of whom could be Major League ready relatively soon. That also includes middle infielder Nick Gordon, who spent 2019 in Triple-A Rochester.

Twins "getting close" on coaching hires

The Twins need to fill two more holes on their coaching staff following the departures of bench coach Derek Shelton (Pirates manager) and assistant pitching coach Jeremy Hefner (Mets pitching coach).

"It’s gone well, but as of right now, we don’t have anything to announce, but I think we made a ton of progress," Baldelli said. "Like I would say, these are the guys that make the most direct impact with our players on a regular basis. They’re going to be impactful hires when we make them, and I think we’re getting close."

The Twins already made one hire when they promoted Minor League field coordinator Edgar Varela to serve as their new hitting coach, replacing James Rowson, who departed to become the offensive coordinator and bench coach for the Miami Marlins after leading the most prolific home run-hitting offense in Major League history.

Speaking of unorthodox roles like that of the "offensive coordinator," Twins leadership isn't necessarily looking to limit the club's staffing structure to more traditional models, and the goal remains to find candidates that will bring solid contributions to the staff as a whole.

For example, Varela already brings a more unique skill set to his hitting coach role, as he spent his time as Minor League field coordinator, not only helping to sculpt the organization's offensive philosophy, but also providing assistance and training to other coaches in the system. He's expected to continue his work with assistant general manager Jeremy Zoll and player development director Alex Hassan in establishing an offensive philosophy throughout the organization.

"Could [the staff] be in a traditional setup? Sure, but I don’t think we’re bound by any of these traditional aspects of the staff," Baldelli said. "We just want the most impactful people in the right spots dealing with our guys."

The Twins have a staff largely short on Major League experience, as second-year manager Baldelli is joined by Varela and pitching coach Wes Johnson, who are both in their first MLB roles. But Baldelli said that prior experience isn't necessarily a more significant factor than others in the Twins' ongoing search.

"I think it’s one consideration, and truthfully, I think it’s a very important consideration, but I don’t think it’s always the end-all, be-all," Baldelli said. "I think the way all of these different qualities work together, we could find, probably, instances where we could add to our staff with years of experience, but we could also find a way to do it without actually adding a member that has a ton of experience and still do it in a great way."