The AL Central was up for grabs. At the time of the trade deadline, no one had really distanced themselves from each other in that division. The Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox had already thrown in the white flag by then- and they had begun trading contributors for prospects. The Detroit Tigers were too far out of it to make a big run. That really left the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Guardians, but neither team made a move at the deadline.

Each team bet on itself to make a run. The Guardians were able to claim Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez after their trade from the White Sox to the Los Angeles Angels, but they weren't enough. The Twins were able to pull away at the end and win the NL Central. They finished the season 87-75 and had the worst record of any AL playoff team, but that's not their problem. They made the playoffs.

They didn't just make the playoffs; they made some noise once they got there.  They swept the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild Card round. For a team that had not won a playoff game since 2004- and a playoff series since 2002- that's a big deal.

The Twins even took a game from the Houston Astros in Houston. Minnesota had a great season, but there is still work to do. The goal is to win a World Series, not just a series. To do that, the Twins should look to free agency. A few players stick out as potential fits that could help the Twins get where they want to go.

Whit Merrifield

The Twins are among the league's best in multiple hitting categories. The Twins scored the tenth most runs in the regular season. They were also seventh in the big leagues in slugging percentage (.427) and OPS (.753). Only the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers hit more home runs this season than the Twins. When it comes to offense, the Twins were very much aligned with what analytics would suggest a team should do with their offense: swing for the fences often.

But that same approach also exposed the Twins in their series against the Astros. In Game 3, the Twins had three hits all game and scored two runs; both of those runs came off of solo home runs. They had the same number of his in their Game 2 loss as well. The Twins did have nine hits in their Game 1 loss, but even in that game, all of their runs were scored via home runs. It's great to be able to hit home runs, but it also shouldn't be the primary or only source of offense.

Case in point: for all of the success the Twins had with power, they didn't have much with finesse. Minnesota ranked 21st in the MLB in batting average during the regular season with a .243 mark. Every team below them missed the playoffs. They also ranked 19th in hits. They were very much an all-or-nothing offense.

Perhaps someone like Whit Merrifield could help them out. Merrifield has posted a batting average of at least .270 in every season of his career except for the 2022 season. Only four Twins players (Royce Lewis, Donovan Solano, Ryan Jeffers, and Alex Kirilloff) posted a batting average that high this season, and only Solano did that in over 100 games played.

Jorge Polanco is Minnesota's primary second baseman and he held it down this season with a .255 batting average to go with 14 home runs and 48 RBI, but Merrifield is the more established player and had better numbers this season. Merrifield can play in the outfield too. He'd make for a great addition to the Twins' roster.

Cody Bellinger

If the Twins really wanted a boost in batting average, they could stand to do so at center field. Michael Taylor and Byron Buxton are great defensive players, but they also hit .220 and .207, respectively, this season. Cody Bellinger brings a similar glove to center field, similar or better power than what Taylor and Buxton provide (Taylor did hit 22 home runs this season), but with a lot more consistency as a hitter.

Granted, Bellinger wasn't consistent as a hitter for a while. After he won the NL MVP award in 2019 with the Los Angeles Dodgers in a season that saw him hit 47 home runs and bring in 115 RBI with slashing lines of .305/.406/.629/1.035, Bellinger didn't post a batting average above .210 until 2023, his first season with the Cubs. Bellinger was reborn. He hit 26 home runs, brought in 97 RBI, and averaged .307/.356/.525/.881 across the board as a hitter.

The Twins would be betting on this bounceback being the norm as opposed to the three-year slump Bellinger succumbed to, but that's a good bet to make. One that could pay dividends for the Twins going forward. Bellinger and Whit Merrifield can help the Twins and make them an even more dangerous offense going forward.