Although it's probably a little early to start speculating, being that the Division Series' have just finished, however I don't see a whole lot changing between now and the time players are eligible to sign.
The Twins spent last year with 5 players receiving multiple starts at shortstop. None of them really played extremely well, which is the reason why it is still a major hole in the Twins lineup. Nick Punto received 61 starts (the most) and was probably the best all-around player we had start at shortstop. Punto is eligible for free agency, however it's known that the Twins would like to retain him in hopes that he can fill in as a utility player. Punto wasn't a terrible starter in 2008, however he's better suited for a backup role.
The Twins really do have a few options that they can explore. They could simply re-sign Nick Punto and just wait until Trevor Plouffe, Steven Tolleson or another player is ready to take over at shortstop hopefully before the end of the season. They could let Punto walk and allow an "in-house" player to fill the role, whether that be a player already on the Major League roster or a player in the minors. They could also sign a free agent or make a trade. Rafael Furcal or Orlando Hudson are two free agents I'd love to see the Twins look into signing.
Furcal likely will demand more than Hudson in terms of annual dollar, however he may not be looking for as many years. Although Furcal is coming off one of his best seasons of his career, he was injured for a large portion of the season (playing in only 36 regular season games) which could effect a team's decision on whether to sign him to a long-term deal. Although I think he's certainly pleading his case right now in the playoffs, he may be wise to sign a one-year deal to show that he is indeed 100% healthy and is worth even more next year. However, he could also see this as a time to lock up a long-term deal to provide security incase another injury happens next year. It's really up in the air right now, however it's well known that he'll likely be demanding at least $15 million annually which makes him somewhat pricy for Twins standards, but we certainly have the funds to cushion such an addition.
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