MINNEAPOLIS -- It's tough for Twins manager Rocco Baldelli to start preparing for 2021 in earnest, considering all of the uncertainty that remains around not only his team, but around the sport as a whole, before Minnesota can begin its defense of back-to-back American League Central titles the past two seasons.

Not only does Baldelli not know if Spring Training and the regular season will be conducted at full length, but among matters more directly under his influence, he still doesn't know whether Nelson Cruz will return to serve as his designated hitter, or how he'll fill the void created by four key losses in the bullpen -- that of Trevor May, Sergio Romo, Matt Wisler and Tyler Clippard.

And at the end of all of the uncertainty, the expectations will still be high. Baldelli will still face the significant challenge in 2021 of finally ending the 18-game postseason losing streak since '04.

"We’ve gone to the playoffs two straight years and we haven’t won a game," Baldelli said. "I feel it. Our players feel it. Our staff feels it. The community feels it. And we should feel it. We play for essentially eight months just to have the opportunity to play a couple of games in a playoff situation. It’s a different type of environment when you get there. How do you get out there and perform your absolute best when the time comes?

"I don’t think that anybody has one answer for that. But it’s something that I do go to bed at night thinking about sometimes, and I don’t think that’s going to stop anytime soon."

There was plenty on Baldelli's mind as he spoke as part of the virtual managerial availabilities in lieu of the Winter Meetings:

Who will take over left field?

Where things stand: With Eddie Rosario gone, it figures that the Twins will eventually hand a starting job to Alex Kirilloff, their No. 2 prospect, after they pushed him into action during Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Astros. Will that come on Opening Day, though? Baldelli indicated that Jake Cave (.772 career OPS) has the ability to be a regular, and LaMonte Wade Jr. and No. 12 prospect Brent Rooker (now healthy again) could also be factors.

Still, Baldelli fed into all of the hype surrounding Kirilloff and No. 3 prospect Trevor Larnach, both corner outfielders, by indicating that he didn't feel the lack of development from a lost Minor League season in '20 would affect their ability to impact the Twins in the near future.

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What he said: "You’re talking about two of the more exciting young corner outfielders in baseball. I don’t think that’s any stretch to talk about Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach like that. These guys can simply just hit and they’re strong. They drive the ball. They do a lot of other things, too. They’re also good competitors, good teammates, guys that I think will fit in well with what we do as a team but I think both of these guys are going to be huge factors for us going forward. ... I think they truly are either prepared at this moment or will be very soon to impact the big league level."

What's the latest with Cruz?

Where things stand: The Twins likely can't get started on their offseason planning until they have clarity as to whether their 40-year-old clubhouse leader will be back for 2021. Cruz would likely command a considerable salary, plug the opening at DH and increase the need for versatility around the remainder of the roster. Baldelli reaffirmed that Cruz remains at the forefront of the Twins' conversations after he led the team with 16 homers and a .992 OPS in '20.

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What he said: "Nelson, if you’re watching, which I know you’re not, we’d love to see you in Spring Training, and I’ll talk to you soon. But besides that, I think you have to stay flexible and find different ways to improve your club going forward."

Where did all the offense go?

Where things stand: Somewhat surprisingly, the Twins' record-setting offense of 2019 regressed from 116 wRC+ to 101 wRC+ to set the stage for some of Minnesota's struggles. Baldelli indicated that the lack of a true buildup during Summer Camp could have played into that, but he acknowledged that the Twins are still seeking solutions. That's an important question, considering the Twins will again rely on the bulk of their 2020 offense for production in '21 and will need improvements from the likes of Mitch Garver (.511 OPS) and Jorge Polanco (.658 OPS) to help weather the loss of Rosario.

What he said: "We certainly don't have it all figured out. Some teams went out there and competed very well offensively and even maybe saw upticks offensively, and they found ways to be prepared for the season when it started. Are we continually digging into those things? Yes. Is there one answer I can point to right now? No."

Is Taylor Rogers still the closer?

Where things stand: Rogers had one of the more bizarre seasons in 2020. The left-handed closer's peripherals were still elite -- his 2.84 FIP, 1.8 walks per nine innings and 10.8 strikeouts per nine were all in line with his '19 numbers -- but for whatever reason, he couldn't stop giving up hits, raising his ERA from 2.61 to 4.05. The Twins were comfortable enough with Rogers' numbers to still give him a raise to $6 million in '21, and they appear poised to continue using Rogers in high-leverage, late-innings situations.

What he said: "I think there was probably some, truthfully, some luck involved there and maybe a few other things, but he’s still going to be a guy that we’re going to rely on to pitch high-leverage innings for us in the biggest situations. But we haven’t named a closer at any point in the last couple of years, and we’re not going to do that going forward. We want to pitch our guys when we think they’re going to help us win a particular game, maybe in a particular inning with a particular set of hitters coming up, so our guys know that."