MINNEAPOLIS -- Following a surprise run last season that left them just a game short of another American League Central title, the Twins are already considered to be a dangerous team heading into the 2009 season.

The club has its nucleus of young starting pitchers intact, a productive lineup that features an abundance of young hitters and one of the best closers in the game. So even if the Twins don't make any changes this winter, they would still be viewed as a divisional contender.

But as the Hot Stove season gets under way, Twins general manager Bill Smith isn't exactly content to keep the status quo.

"Our primary concern is to resolve two areas -- the infield and the bullpen," Smith said. "We've got some depth in the starting pitching and we've got depth in the outfield. So we are looking to resolve those other two areas."

The left side of the infield appears to be the primary concern for Minnesota. Third base and shortstop are both considered to be unsettled positions, and the expectation is that the Twins are looking to significantly upgrade at least one of those spots.

However, Smith prefers to leave vague the exact positions the club might be targeting this winter.

"I think it's just the infield in general that we need to address because we've got players with versatility," Smith said. "Brian Buscher and Brendan Harris are certainly viable options at third. But if we get a third baseman, then we can certainly move Harris over to short. If we settle on a shortstop, then we can leave them over at third.

"We have some versatility with those players, and same with Matt Tolbert, and same with Alexi Casilla. That's why I say we need to resolve the infield more than where we need to replace people. And, of course, some of it depends on what happens with Nick Punto."

Punto is one of the four free agents that the Twins must address in the coming weeks, along with shortstop Adam Everett and left-handed relievers Dennys Reyes and Eddie Guardado. Punto is of particular interest considering the current hole at shortstop. Re-signing Punto would give the Twins another versatile infield option -- one with the ability to play second and third along with shortstop, where he played primarily last season.

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Shortstop is certainly a need, but if the Twins had their choice of which spot on the left side to upgrade, it would likely be third base. The club has not had a consistent starter there since Corey Koskie left via free agency following the 2004 season. And securing a right-handed bat with some pop for the corner spot would solve two of the club's problems. The Twins are looking to add a little more power to their lineup after tallying an American League-low 111 home runs in 2008.

The third-base free-agent market is thin on marquee names but could be suited to the Twins' style of low-risk, high-reward players. Among the names available are Casey Blake and Joe Crede.

As for free-agent shortstops, it's mostly a crop of veteran players who can provide value both offensively and defensively despite the majority of the best options being over the age of 30 -- including Orlando Cabrera, Rafael Furcal and Edgar Renteria.

The rumor mill involving the Twins has been relatively quiet so far this fall. That includes just which free agents the club might be interested in pursuing. Smith prefers not to get into specifics in regards to who might be on the Twins' target list, but he acknowledged that the team could look to the free-agent market to fill its holes.

"I think there are certainly players out there that can help us," Smith said.

In addressing the club's other need -- the bullpen -- the Twins must first figure out whether they will be able to bring back Reyes. The 31-year-old left-hander could carry a high price tag in a market that is always thin on pitching, and one that has seen the price of relief pitching rise in recent years. But Reyes is a Type B free agent, so if the Twins offer him salary arbitration and he leaves via free agency they would get a supplemental pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft next June.

If Reyes does leave, the Twins might be able to look within their farm system to replace him, and also to upgrade their bullpen overall. Left-hander Jose Mijares emerged as a late-inning setup option during his callup in September, and there are other talented young arms, like right-handers Kevin Mulvey and Anthony Swarzak, who might be considered as bullpen options if help is not found elsewhere.

"We're going to certainly look at what we have coming through the system," Smith said of filling the club's current holes in both the infield and bullpen. "We're going to look at trades, and we're also going to look at free agents. We're going to look and see if we can fill those areas the best way possible."