There are a lot of questions surrounding the Minnesota Twins heading into spring training, but one of the biggest is who is going to play first base.
The Twins went into last season with Miguel Sanó at first base but he didn’t make it out of the first month of the season before suffering a torn meniscus. Luis Arraez, Jose Miranda and Alex Kirilloff formed a platoon at first base later in the year, with Arraez parlaying his new role into his first All-Star appearance and American League batting title.
But the Twins traded Arraez this offseason and plan to move Jose Miranda to third base after trading Gio Urshela. The moves leave some intriguing options but none of them are clear.
In a perfect world, first base would belong to Alex Kirilloff. A first-round pick in 2016, Kirilloff has shown flashes such as his .348/.392/.578 line with 20 home runs and 101 RBI between Low-A Cedar Rapids and High-A Fort Myers in 2018. Even last year, Kirilloff slashed .359/.465/.641 with 10 homers and 32 RBI in 35 games at Triple-A St. Paul, leaving him nothing left to prove in the minor leagues.
However, talent hasn’t been the problem for Kirilloff as much as staying healthy. Kirilloff injured his wrist early during the 2021 season and has undergone season-ending surgery in each of the past two seasons. A move to first base could reduce the strain on his wrist, which had its ulna bone shortened in a procedure last August.
If Kirilloff is unable to remain on the field, it could leave the Twins scrambling for an alternative.
One option is Joey Gallo, who signed with the Twins last December. Gallo’s approach at the plate is similar to Sanó’s as he struck out 163 times in 350 at-bats last season. His power is just as good as he hit 19 homers despite hitting .160/.280/.357 in 126 games between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Gallo has said he’s open to playing first base but that would negate his value as a defender. Gallo won a Gold Glove while playing left field during the 2020 and 2021 seasons and only a handful of MLB outfielders recorded more outs above average during that time.
One of those outfielders was Max Kepler, who led MLB with 12 outs above average last season and could be a better option to pair with Trevor Larnach and Byron Buxton (or Michael A. Taylor) in the outfield, but the Twins could opt to play Gallo over Larnach which still leaves first base open.
This could send the Twins into a scenario similar to last year. Kyle Farmer was acquired as a utility man and has experience playing first base, but has only logged 37 career games at the position. Veteran Tyler White is in camp as a non-roster invite but has no minor league options remaining. 2020 first-round pick Aaron Sabato is in Double-A and the Twins could be searching for depth early in the year.
And what do the Twins do if Matt Wallner, the No. 5 prospect in the organization according to MLB Pipeline, knocks down the door for a spot in the outfield? Could he play first base?
Perhaps the Twins could sign Carlos Correa’s old teammate Yuri Gurriel to provide some insurance, but it’s a question how effective the 39-year-old could be after hitting .242/.288/.360 in 146 games for the Astros last season.
Whatever the plan is, the Twins will have to find some offense as Minnesota’s first basemen ranked 18th last season with a total OPS of .716. A revival at the position could help the Twins sneak back into the top half of the league in runs scored and produce a lineup that could support a solid starting rotation.
