In a move that might not mean much but could mean something , the Twins picked up slugger Chris Carter on a minor league deal this week.

He's the ultimate "three true outcomes" hitter, with more than half — this is not a misprint — of his 2,853 MLB plate appearances having resulted in a home run, walk or strikeout.

Carter led the National League in homers with 41 just two seasons ago, also whiffing 206 times that year. He struggled with the Yankees last year and has been in Class AAA this year, but it's worth taking a chance on him given his power. It's interesting that he can play first base, given Joe Mauer's recurrence of concussion-like symptoms.

And hey, the last time a Minnesota team took a low-cost risk on a guy of the same name (different spelling of the first name, of course), he wound up catching a ton of passes for the Vikings and making the Hall of Fame.

Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.