How adding Carlos Santana affects the Twins lineups

After starting pitching carried the Twins to the American League Division Series in 2023, the club is expecting its offense to play a bigger role in the upcoming year.

The Twins are, largely, returning the core of their lineup from last season. Their moves over the last week amount to swapping switch-hitting second baseman Jorge Polanco for switch-hitting first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana, along with adding two pitchers and two prospects.

Plans always look rosier on paper before the start of spring training, but the Twins are hoping for a full season from Royce Lewis, and healthier seasons from Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton.

“I mean, it excites me,” Correa said at TwinsFest last week. “The talent that we have in our clubhouse right now is insane. Obviously, we have to be healthy, and we have to perform, but on paper it looks really good.”

After trading Polanco to Seattle and agreeing to terms on a one-year, $5.25 million contract with Santana, here’s a projected Twins lineup against a righthanded starting pitcher:

1. Edouard Julien, 2B

2. Correa, SS

3. Lewis, 3B

4. Max Kepler, RF

5. Buxton, CF

6. Matt Wallner, LF

7. Alex Kirilloff, DH

8. Ryan Jeffers, C

9. Santana, 1B

Julien, Lewis and Wallner helped propel the Twins lineup with their contributions when they were in the big leagues together as rookies last year. One reason the Twins felt OK trading Polanco was Julien’s improvement defensively.

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Santana has been an everyday starter since 2011, but he has provided slightly below league-average production against righties for the past three seasons. Santana’s presence could push Kirilloff into more time at designated hitter because Santana was a Gold Glove finalist at first base last year.

“That’s a real lineup one through nine,” said Correa, thinking about the potential lineup before Polanco was traded. “There is no escaping from that lineup. I’m excited to see what we can do, especially starting in spring training how everybody shows up in shape and ready to go.”

Buxton’s availability is an annual question but putting him back in center field strengthens the lineup in multiple places. Utilityman Nick Gordon, who is out of minor league options, and outfielder Trevor Larnach add potential depth as lefthanded bats if they can crack the 26-man roster.

Below is a projected Twins lineup against lefthanded starting pitchers:

1. Buxton, CF

2. Correa, SS

3. Lewis, 3B

4. Jeffers, DH

5. Santana, 1B

6. Kepler, RF

7. Kyle Farmer, 2B

8. Willi Castro, LF

9. Christian Vázquez, C

There is room for the Twins to add another righthanded bat, and that could emerge through an external addition or one of their younger players — José Miranda, Austin Martin or Brooks Lee, for example — forcing his way into a bigger role.

Farmer has been a trade candidate all offseason at his $6.25 million salary and that could carry into camp. Trading Polanco and Farmer would, however, leave a big opening in the infield against lefty pitchers.

Santana, in a way, fills the role that Donovan Solano had last year, but the Twins haven’t filled what Jordan Luplow did for them at the end of the 2023 season.

Despite a solid group of righthanded hitters last year, the Twins hit poorly against lefty pitchers for a prolonged stretch of the season. Better offensive seasons from Buxton and Correa could be a major difference in this area.

“Especially with the group of guys we’ve got and knowing what we all can do together, it makes it a lot more fun to get to spring training and get that going,” Buxton said last week. “We talked amongst ourselves and we’re all on the same page.”