In a Twist, Carlos Correa Heads North to the Minnesota Twins

Carlos Correa, the star shortstop who helped lead the Houston Astros to a now tainted 2017 World Collection title, has discovered an surprising residence: the Minnesota Twins.

As a substitute of touchdown the huge long-term deal that was as soon as predicted for him, Correa agreed to affix the quickly rebuilding Twins on a three-year $105.3 million contract. The main points of the contract had been confirmed by a private acquainted with the negotiations who was not licensed to debate it publicly as a result of it was pending a bodily examination.

Whereas the deal is much smaller in size and whole worth than some handed out earlier than the lockout, the advantages to Correa are clear: It has opt-outs after every of the primary two years, permitting Correa to re-enter the market as quickly as subsequent season, and it has a mean annual worth of $35.1 million, which supplants the deal Anthony Rendon of the Los Angeles Angels signed two years in the past, which was beforehand the best mark for an infielder.

Solely pitchers Max Scherzer ($43.3 million) and Gerrit Cole ($36 million), and outfielder Mike Trout ($35.5 million), have greater common annual values of their contracts than Correa, in line with Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

Whereas Correa’s new staff had not formally introduced his arrival as of Saturday morning, Correa modified the photograph on his Twitter profile to one among Goal Discipline, the Twins’ residence stadium in Minneapolis.

Correa, 27, joins a staff that has been overhauled this low season. After an 89-loss 2021 season, the Twins entrance workplace remade the staff’s infield by buying and selling away Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the Yankees for catcher Gary Sánchez and third baseman Gio Urshela. Additionally they traded for beginning pitcher Sonny Grey.

And now the Twins went far bigger, including the top-ranked free agent of this low season and among the best total gamers in baseball. A cornerstone of an Astros infield that led the staff to a few American League pennants in 5 years, Correa had maybe his finest season in 2021.

He hit .279 with 26 residence runs and an .850 on-base plus slugging proportion, whereas additionally main the key leagues in defensive wins above alternative, in line with Baseball Reference. He gained the A.L. Platinum Glove, an annual award given to the most effective defender in every league, no matter place.

Whereas accidents slowed Correa at occasions all through his seven years in Houston, he hit .277 with an .837 O.P.S. and smashed no less than 20 residence runs in 5 seasons. He was a vocal staff chief, dwelling as much as his hype as the primary total choose within the 2012 draft.

Correa’s brief and versatile contract in Minnesota stands in sharp distinction to the one Corey Seager obtained when he agreed to depart the Los Angeles Dodgers this winter. Seager, a extra polished hitter than Correa who’s a far much less achieved defensive participant, landed a 10-year $325 million take care of the Texas Rangers.

The information of Correa’s departure reverberated by the Astros’ spring coaching facility in West Palm Seashore, Fla., on Saturday morning. First baseman Yuli Gurriel, who was Correa’s teammate for six years, stated Correa was “very energetic” sending messages to Astros gamers on Friday night time and that Correa was having hassle sleeping given the large determination on his plate.

Gurriel stated Astros gamers had been stunned they usually had hoped that Correa would return. He stated he by no means imagined Correa would find yourself in Minnesota however he understood the enterprise aspect of the game.

“We’re going to overlook him,” Gurriel stated. “He helped me lots right here, not solely on protection however with a variety of facets that I wanted to get higher at, like sabermetrics.”

Astros Supervisor Dusty Baker stated he heard the information from his spouse on Saturday morning. He didn’t need to discuss it a lot till Correa’s deal was formally introduced, however he stated, “It’s not very nice information if it’s true.”

Martín Maldonado, the Astros catcher and a fellow Puerto Rican like Correa, stated he talked to and visited Correa usually all through the free company course of.

“He knew after the lockout it was going to be onerous to get these years that he needed,” Maldonado stated, referring to the 99-day work stoppage that froze all transactions from Dec. 2 to March 10 and compelled many remaining free brokers to signal throughout a delayed and abbreviated spring coaching.

Maldonado stated the opt-outs within the deal had been one thing Correa “actually needed.” He continued, “He’s betting on himself once more. I do know he’s going to go on the market and have a monster 12 months and hopefully exit to free company and obtain that aim of a 10-year deal.”