Report: Twins targeting backup shortstop next; looking at Urias, DeJong

After emerging from their offseason slumber to sign reliever Danny Coulombe and outfielder Harrison Bader this week, the Twins' next move might be to add a backup shortstop, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic.

"Multiple league sources confirmed the Twins have expressed interest in adding a veteran shortstop, recently inquiring about free agents Luis Urías and Paul DeJong," Hayes wrote.

The reason the Twins would add a backup shortstop is similar to the reason they signed Bader as a backup center fielder. Carlos Correa, like Byron Buxton, missed a big chunk of time due to injury last season. Correa was limited to 86 games played, largely due to plantar fasciitis, which cost him two months from mid-July to mid-September.

Correa has a better track record of staying healthy than Buxton, having played in at least 135 games in each of the three previous seasons. He also said last month at TwinsFest that he's feeling good this offseason and is taking steps to prevent future foot issues. But the Twins have learned the hard way in recent years that you can never have too much depth.

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Last season, Willi Castro was Minnesota's primary backup at shortstop, with Brooks Lee and Kyle Farmer also seeing some time there. Farmer signed with the Rockies this offseason, so the Twins could use a similar veteran who can play short and other infield spots.

"Even with optimism about Correa, the Twins have considered several backup shortstops this offseason, preferring a defensive upgrade over Willi Castro, who was an All-Star in 2024 but was valued at minus-9 Defensive Runs Saved in 465 2/3 innings at shortstop," Hayes wrote.

Hayes added that the Twins had interest in Jon Berti before he signed with the Cubs last week. Either Urias and DeJong would be a solid addition with experience and some versatility.

Urias, 27, has played for the Padres, Brewers, Red Sox, and Mariners over a seven-year career. He had a pair of 3-WAR seasons for Milwaukee in 2021-22, but has bounced around since then. Urias has a career .232 average, 97 OPS+, and 52 home runs. He's played over 1,000 career innings at each of third base, shortstop, and second base. He's not great defensively and is better suited at second or third, but he might be better than Castro at short.

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DeJong, 31, was an All-Star with the Cardinals in 2019 who has turned into a major journeyman over the last couple years. In 2023, his seventh season with St. Louis, he was traded to the Blue Jays, then was cut and landed with the Giants. He began last season with the White Sox and finished it with the Royals. DeJong has a career .229 average, 93 OPS+, and 140 home runs. He hit 24 bombs last year and had a 30-home season back in his Cardinals days, but he does have a career strikeout rate north of 27 percent. Defensively, DeJong has played 93 percent of his career innings at short, with brief appearances and second and third.

Between Coulombe and Bader, the Twins have added $9.25 million in payroll this week. That raises the question of whether or not a trade to shed salary is coming at some point, especially if they plan on signing a veteran infielder.

The Twins' infield currently consists of Royce Lewis, Correa, Lee, Castro, Jose Miranda, and Edouard Julien.