Twins

With just a handful of days left until pitchers and catchers officially report to Fort Myers for spring training, Minnesota is nearing the end of its offseason. The main focus when it comes to additions is starting pitching, and due to the market, that remains the one area left unattended at this point. Whether before or after spring training officially kicks off I expect that to be dealt with. What remains to be seen is whether or not Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have interest in adding a bat to supplement their bench.

With Josh Donaldson in the fold, the Twins’ starting nine is set. Figuring out the bench is a little trickier. Alex Avila, Ehire Adrianza and Marwin Gonzalez are locks, but who will take the final bench spot and be the 26th man?

With Joe Mauer’s retirement, the Twins are lacking a face of the franchise-type player. But if there’s anyone who has an argument to be the leader for that title, it’d have to be Eddie Rosario. Nobody’s been as good for as long in the organization as Rosie. That seems weird to say.

Rosario busted out of a season-opening slump by banging a big three-run home run off the foul pole, giving the Twins some much-needed insurance.

With Homer Bailey placed on the Injured List due to a bicep injury, Rocco Baldelli was forced to go with a bullpen game Sunday against Cleveland. Six Twins pitchers combined to hold Cleveland to just one run, as Minnesota took the game and the series, 3-1.

With his long curly locks and laid back attitude, JT Chargois fits the description you'd expect for a guy with the nickname Shaggy. On the surface, though, he doesn't quite match the prototype for an imposing late-inning reliever.

At least, until he lets loose that incredible fastball.

With free agents flying off the board, the Twins' front office could be left searching for other options, like trading for another starting pitcher. Minnesota has some depth in the farm system to make a deal, but if other clubs aren’t willing to trade, the Twins could be left to trust internal starting pitching options.

With free agency now officially underway, there will be considerable interest in Terry Ryan's approach to addressing his team's starting pitching woes.

If you're hoping see him aggressively pursue one of the top names on the market, you're likely to be disappointed. But there's a good chance the Twins will add at least one free agent arm, and as the Phil Hughes signing demonstrated last year, landing a pitcher with a mid-level contract can pay major dividends if done smartly.

With financial flexibility and a familiar, beloved face still available, the Twins’ offseason is ready for its finishing touches.

With every new injury comes an opportunity for another player to emerge. Joe Mauer was placed on the DL, opening the door for outfielder Jake Cave to make his major league debut Saturday night. He hit a two-run home run, and fellow fill-in Bobby Wilson had a big two-run double, but the Twins fell to Milwaukee 5-4.

With Dan Hayes of MLB.com breaking the news that Twins second baseman Luis Arráez would be heading to the Injured List, we look at who could fill his shoes best. Is the best option currently on the Twins active roster or should the Twins consider promoting someone from St. Paul? Read on to find out.

With Cleveland losing to the Philadelphia Phillies, the Minnesota Twins looked to do their part in lowering the magic number in game three of a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals. Jose Berrios was on the bump for Minnesota, looking to pitch his third straight great game. Things didn’t go as well as Berrios and the Twins would have hoped as he gave up five runs in six innings and Taylor Rogers and the Twins bullpen imploded in the ninth inning, turning a tied game into a seven-run deficit.

With Christmas only two weeks away, the Hot Stove has yet to heat up for Major League Baseball. But that's about to change.

Two situations that have been holding up the offseason landscape – Shohei Ohtani and Giancarlo Stanton – have finally been resolved, and with the Winter Meetings set to get underway this week, the floodgates are going to open.

Here are four (potentially) Twins-related storylines to track as the action unfolds.