The Twins' most significant transaction this offseason has either been trading Jovani Morán to the Boston Red Sox for utility infielder Mickey Gasper or signing Mike Ford to a minor-league contract. Which of the two transactions should be deemed more consequential is really in the eye of the beholder. Still, the front office executing a flurry of these moves indicates they will be addressing the team's depth concerns on the margins, by either trading for Quadruple-A players with upside or signing journeyman veterans to minor-league deals, with hopes of them outplaying their contracts

Due to the complicated nature of trades, we could see more of these low-risk signings by the team's front office this offseason. While depth at first base has seemingly been addressed by acquiring Gasper and Ford, the club has other areas of need, highlighted by the position groups below:

• Left-handed reliever
• Right-handed hitting corner outfielder
• Insurance for Byron Buxton in center field (if they don't trust DaShawn Keirsey)

Free-agent options like Tanner Scott, Austin Hays, and Harrison Bader would be ideal candidates, respectively. Again, however, that is not a world where the Twins front office can function. That being the case, team decision-makers will likely continue to scour the minor-league free agent market for veteran depth pieces. Let's take a look at three intriguing options.

Austin Davis
Before a swarm of injuries concluded what was once a promising 2022 Twins campaign, the team provided opportunities to a handful of relievers who were less than effective. Tyler Thornburg and Juan Minaya are the first to come to mind. However, if you scroll far enough down that year's team Baseball Reference page, you will see that Davis threw 1 2/3 innings for the Twins in two appearances in early Sept. 2022, against the New York Yankees. One can easily forget that signing Davis would, technically, be a reunion.

Since his brief stint with Minnesota, the now-31-year-old has jumped between the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres farm systems. He didn't pitch in the majors in 2023. However, he generated a 9.00 ERA for San Diego over seven innings pitched last season. Now, remember, if the Twins were to bring in Davis, it would be on a minor-league deal. He would likely be behind Kody Funderburk and Brent Headrick on the left-handed reliever hierarchy. However, if he performs well in spring training, he could become a valuable depth piece at a position group presently spread untenably thin.

Bubba Thompson
From Aaron Whitefield to Billy Hamilton, the Twins' front office has long shown an affinity for temporarily rostering speedy outfielders who could be viable defensive replacements for the oft-injured Buxton. Like Davis, the Twins did technically roster Thompson. However, unlike Davis, he never touched the field wearing Twins attire, making it difficult to determine whether signing Thompson would count as a reunion. It's the whole Isiah Kiner-Falefa thing. Nevertheless, Minnesota could be incentivized to bring Thompson back and keep him for more than two weeks.

Thompson, 26, is a fascinating option. He possesses elite speed, while providing above-average defense in center field. These tools have provided the former first-round pick various opportunities in the majors with the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds. However, he has spent the greater part of his career as a Quadruple-A player, because he cannot hit major league pitching. Over his 259 career plate appearances, Thompson has 56 hits. Forty-three of those hits are singles. Evidently, Thompson's offensive value is predicated on him using his speed to beat out chopped groundballs or get balls just past the infield.

Harold Ramírez
You know what's better than a reunion? A fresh beginning, which is something this right-handed bat could significantly benefit from. Ramírez, 30, is a well-known name in the baseball sphere. He performed exceptionally well for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2022 through 2023, posting a 118 and 124 OPS+ in each season, respectively. However, the formerly above-average hitter fell from grace last season, leading to him being designated for assignment by the Rays after posting a measly 70 OPS+ over 169 plate appearances. He quickly signed a minor-league deal with the Washington Nationals. However, his performance barely improved, and he ended his 2024 campaign with an uninspiring 80 OPS+ over 77 plate appearances with his new team.

Now, there is debate surrounding whether Tampa Bay gave up on Ramírez prematurely. He was struggling, yes. However, there is reason to suspect he could again become the player who performed nearly 20% above league average at the plate just two seasons ago. Obviously, to assume that is unwise, and you wouldn't want the Twins to invest an amount that reflected such an expectation. However, if he can perform at even 70-80% of how he did from 2022 through 2023, a team could reap the benefits of an above-replacement level bat at little cost.