Nowhere is the Twins’ fondness for versatile players as clear as in the infield. Carlos Correa is the shortstop when he’s healthy. He’s never played an inning anywhere else in the Major Leagues. Beyond that …

Royce Lewis has served primarily as a third baseman in the big leagues, but he came up as a shortstop and has at least been considered at second. Brooks Lee made double-digit appearances at second, third and short last year. Willi Castro started double-digit games at all three of those positions, plus left field and center field for good measure. Edouard Julien is primarily a second baseman but has some experience at first. Jose Miranda has extensive experience at first and third, not to mention DH.

And that all happened before Carlos Santana departed via free agency. Now manager Rocco Baldelli has a slew of interesting players, a variety of ways in which to deploy them, and a lot of questions as to what makes the most sense.

On the 40-man roster: Castro, Correa, Mickey Gasper, Julien, Lee, Lewis, Miranda
New arrivals: Gasper, Mike Ford (not on 40-man)
Departures: Santana, Kyle Farmer
Top 30 prospects: Luke Keaschall (No. 3), Kaelen Culpepper (No. 4), Kyle DeBarge (No. 9), Billy Amick (No. 11), Brandon Winokur (No. 17), Rayne Doncon (No. 18), Tanner Schobel (No. 19), Danny De Andrade (No. 22), Rubel Cespedes (No. 24), Dameury Pena (No. 26), Payton Eeles (No. 30)

The big question: Will they acquire a first baseman?
This is the key unknown for a couple of reasons. One is obvious. The addition of another Major League-caliber bat would be a big development for a team that is likely to find itself in a very crowded American League playoff race. Whether via trade (more likely) or free agency, adding even a two- or three-win player would in itself significantly change the Twins’ 2025 outlook.

But it’s more than that. Because if they don’t bring in fresh blood, then someone currently on the roster needs to play first base. Maybe several someones. And if they do, and everyone stays healthy, distributing playing time becomes a challenge.

The path of least resistance would be to have Miranda serve as the primary first baseman, with Julien perhaps also getting some time there. It would likely be a reasonably productive setup, though it would certainly mean a defensive downgrade from Santana’s Gold Glove performance. Lewis would probably settle in mostly at third with the hope that Lee could seize second, and Castro available wherever needed. Even that equation potentially leaves precious few ABs for someone who’s contributed in the past, be that Castro, Lee, or Julien.

Another option in the absence of a move is for Ford or Gasper, offseason acquisitions, to claim part of a job share at the position. It’s unlikely either would be the full-time or even primary first baseman, but as a lefty and a switch-hitter respectively, either could conceivably secure some at-bats (though probably not both).

If the Twins do acquire a first baseman, though, then things could get more complicated. Unless one of the players in the current infield mix was part of a trade — certainly a possibility, as Castro is slated to make more than $6 million this year — there could be something of a playing time crunch. There would only be so many innings and at-bats to go around for infielders other than Correa and presumably Lewis.

That’s assuming health, which is another question. Correa, Lee and Lewis all dealt with injures in 2025, which underlines the value of depth and versatility. Often, these problems sort themselves out. Still, with a roster that currently appears largely set, the infield currently looks like the primary area of intrigue as camp approaches.