Sano not the first Twins player to make a change

Miguel Sano is the latest in a line of key Twins players to have switched positions during their careers:

Harmon Killebrew: The Twins' all-time home run leader reached the majors as a third baseman, and he played both first and third in the first season after the franchise relocated from Washington to Minnesota in 1961. The next season Killebrew was moved to left field, where he primarily played until moving back to the infield in 1965.

Rod Carew: He was a 12-time All-Star second baseman between 1967 and 1975. But the Twins decided to move Carew to first in 1976 to protect his knees — he had major surgery in 1970. The move probably added years to Carew's career, which totaled 19 seasons and 3,053 hits. But his lack of power was not a perfect fit for first base.

Kirby Puckett: Puckett was a six-time Gold Glove center fielder before he transitioned to right field during the second half of the 1993 season, with Shane Mack moving to center. Puckett played almost exclusively in right his final two seasons before his career was cut short because of a serious vision problem in spring training 1996 at the age of 35.

Michael Cuddyer: The 1997 first-round draft pick appeared destined to be a man without a position early in his career. He played mostly shortstop and third in the minors, and the Twins used him at those positions, plus first and second base and a smattering of outfield appearances early in his MLB career. He became a right fielder in 2006, and his career took off.

Joe Mauer: Perhaps the most ballyhooed position change in Twins history came in 2014 when the Twins moved the six-time All-Star catcher with three Gold Gloves to first. It was intended to keep the injury-plagued Mauer in the lineup more often, and it did that. But his lack of power for a first baseman created another problem.