FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Even before the Twins agreed to a two-year, $21 million contract with free-agent utility man Marwin Gonzalezon Friday, Minnesota already had several utility options on its bench in Ehire Adrianza, Ronald Torreyes and Willians Astudillo, and seemingly established starters at every position.

So, what does this signing mean for the Twins?

Why was it important to add Gonzalez to the bench?

When the Twins committed to Nelson Cruz as their designated hitter, they did so with the understanding that the 38-year-old's defensive limitations would necessitate increased positional flexibility from their shorter bench. That's part of why backup catcher Mitch Garver will also be taking reps at first base and in the corner outfield this spring.

Gonzalez, who appeared at every position but catcher for the Astros last season, offers more versatility than the Twins' existing bench options, as Adrianza and Torreyes are primarily infielders, and Gonzalez has 130 career starts in the outfield. Gonzalez also offers a more advanced bat. Though he hit .247/.324/.409 with 16 homers last season, he finished 19th in American League MVP Award voting two seasons ago with 23 homers and a .303/.377/.530 line.

His presence on the roster, along with the continued versatility of Astudillo, gives first-year manager Rocco Baldelli much more wiggle room in accommodating potential injuries and underperformance around the diamond over the course of the season.

What does this signal about the Twins' postseason hopes in 2019 and beyond?

Even considering the signings of Cruz, C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop, the Twins were likely hinging on their young core, particularly Byron Buxton and Miguel Sanó, to show that the team could be a postseason contender this season. With the acquisition of Gonzalez, the Twins have a larger margin for error and could still contend for the AL Central without as big of of a leap forward from one or both of those core players.

The deal still doesn't introduce much long-term risk -- both financially and from a roster standpoint. None of the Twins' younger core players should miss out on significant opportunities to develop for the future.

Where is he going to play?

Gonzalez likely won't supplant any of the Twins' established starters around the diamond, but he should find ways to consistently work his way into the starting lineup. Gonzalez has appeared in at least 134 games with at least 500 plate appearances in each of the last three seasons for the Astros.

On a deeper bench, where Jake Cave is at the Major League level as a dedicated fourth outfielder, Gonzalez could be expected to play more infield, and he could become a primary backup option at first base behind Cron. Gonzalez has largely neutral career platoon splits and has a better on-base percentage as a left-handed hitter, with 11 of his 16 homers in 2018 coming from the left side.

Because Cave has remaining options, the Twins could also elect to use Gonzalez as their fourth outfielder. While Gonzalez wouldn't be an option for center field, both Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler could play in center if needed.

What does this mean for other roster hopefuls?

Both Adrianza and first baseman Tyler Austin are out of Minor League options, giving the Twins the least flexibility with their roster situations moving forward. With the backup catcher Garver and Gonzalez seemingly the most secure in bench roles, it's looking as though Cave and Astudillo, who both have options, could be the leading competitors for a more flexible bench role or roles (depending on whether the Twins carry 12 or 13 on the pitching staff at any given time).