If you like really streaky baseball teams, the 2024 Minnesota Twins are for you. This season has been an absolute roller-coaster for the 2023 AL Central champs, from the 7-13 start to the immediate 12-game winning streak to everything that's happened since.

Every week brings a new mood to the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but if the playoffs started today, the Twins would be in. That certainly doesn't make them a top contender to win a pennant, but it's a fine spot to be, especially considering how much better the rest of the division has been than previously anticipated. But that means they have their work cut out for them if they want back-to-back Central crowns, so it's time to improve this roster.

Today, we'll look at three areas of the Twins' roster that could do with some serious improvement. We'll take a look at some potential trade candidates from across the league and analyze how those pickups could change the course of this season in Minnesota. Grab a Schell's and a Juicy Lucy and let's talk some Twins.

Twins lack production from corner infield

The injury to Royce Lewis was a bummer on a number of levels. Lewis was the catalyst behind much of the momentum Minnesota built in 2023, including hitting two home runs in the opener of the Wild Card Series to help the Twins get their first playoff win since 2004. And with Carlos Santana generally struggling to produce as the everyday first basemen, the Twins have been one of the least productive corner infield tandems in the big leagues.

Granted, Lewis is supposed to return somewhat soon, but in order for the Twins to be true contenders, they need a corner infield insurance policy, or at the very least, a new first baseman. Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals would be the dream acquisition but unfortunately, as Goldschmidt has heated up, so have the Cardinals, which potentially takes them out of seller mode.

Luckily, there are several other viable options. The Miami Marlins' Jake Burger can play both first and third and helped spark a playoff charge last season, while the Toronto Blue Jays' Justin Turner would provide valuable veteran leadership if his team falls out of the playoff race. And if all else fails, the Oakland Athletics' J.D. Davis could handle both corner spots and as a rental, would come dirt cheap. The Twins need to make at least one pickup of this variety.

Minnesota needs an ace

None of the Twins' starters are necessarily bad pitchers, but the unit as a collective is somewhat underwhelming. Joe Ryan has been terrific and Simeon Woods-Richardson has far outshot expectations, but Pablo López has been a major disappointment thus far. The arrival of another ace-type starter would do wonders for the entire unit, moving everyone one slot back in the rotation and allowing them to pitch more freely.

Fortunately, the trade market is always a great time to acquire starting pitching and this year's market is flush with options. If you want veteran reclamation projects with cheap contracts, Erick Fedde and Trevor Williams are both likely to get moved. If you want someone younger with ace potential, Jesús Luzardo is begging to get out of Miami. But the Twins need to send a message and go after the biggest possible fish on the market.

Perhaps we're not acknowledging it because they're the defending NL champs, but the Arizona Diamondbacks are a few more bad weeks away from becoming sellers. They've fallen deep in a fourth place hole in the NL West at 25-32 and they made some uncharacteristically expensive free agent signings. And one of those signings won a World Series ring a season ago. That's right… the Twins need Jordan Montgomery.

Christian Vázquez is no longer an MLB hitter

Minnesota Twins catcher Christian Vazquez (8) tosses his bat after striking out against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning at Rogers Centre.
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Jeffers has been one of the Twins' saving graces in 2024. His production has been phenomenal for any MLB hitter, but for a catcher with a 105 career OPS+ coming into the season, he's been otherworldly. But his backup, Christian Vázquez, has been one of the worst hitters in the league. He's got an OPS+ of 20 and has just a .294 slugging percentage in two seasons with the Twins.

I hear you. You're thinking to yourself, “how much does the backup catcher position really matter?” Well, ask Vázquez, who has won two World Series in a timeshare at the catching position for two different teams. Last year's world champs also had a backup catcher who could rake, as Mitch Garver helped keep Jonah Heim's legs fresh for October. Jeffers is having a phenomenal season, but his production will tail off if he's asked to play each and every game of the Twins' playoff push.

So the Twins should nip this problem in the bud and grab someone with a prayer of getting a hit. The Colorado Rockies' Elias Díaz would be a perfect acquisition, though he might prefer to go somewhere he has a better chance to start. The Blue Jays might be tempted into trading one of their two solid catchers if they fall out of the hunt and the Tigers' Carson Kelly is a free-agent-to be as well.