Bring up a minor leaguer
This offseason, the Minnesota Twins signed a veteran minor leaguer with just under 400 major league at bats in Gregorio Petit. Petit had a very good showing in the Venezuelan Winter League, though his bat is not going to be what brings him to Minnesota. Petit has played around the infield as he is a plus glove at second or third and an above-average one at short. He would not be a guy who likely would start for the Twins, but if they went with Escobar, he could be a more-than-adequate defensive replacement.
While the Twins have enviable middle infield depth among their top prospects (in my Twins’ tracked composite prospect rankings, 3 of the top 5 are MI and 6-7 of the top 30), only one of those prospects will open the season in the upper minors, Nick Gordon, who will open the season likely at shortstop in Rochester, though with Petit also likely to be in Rochester, Gordon could get work at second base alongside Petit as well to help increase his flexibility with an eye to 2019 with Brian Dozier’s contract up after the 2018 season.
Gordon has work to do with the bat to be ready for the major leagues, and his glove has always been one of his questions, but more than anything, Gordon gets praise for his steady approach to his game, and if he were forced into action, it’s quite feasible that he would give the Twins at least a steady effort in the field every day.
However, with the ability for his performance to be more than simply steady with a season in AAA and further work on his glove and approach over 2018 in the minors, the Minnesota Twins are most likely not going to risk rushing Gordon up to the majors to fill Polanco’s spot.
So if not a minor leaguer, what is left on the free agent market?
Next: Sign a free agent