Carlos Correa, the star shortstop who helped lead the Houston Astros to a now tainted 2017 World Collection title, has discovered an sudden house: the Minnesota Twins.
As an alternative of touchdown the large 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 conversant in 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 complete 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 median 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 very 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, based on Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
Whereas Correa’s new group had not formally introduced his arrival as of Saturday morning, Correa modified the photograph on his Twitter profile to one in every of Goal Area, the Twins’ house stadium in Minneapolis.
Correa, 27, joins a group that has been overhauled this low season. After an 89-loss 2021 season, the Twins entrance workplace remade the group’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 group to 3 American League pennants in 5 years, Correa had maybe his finest season in 2021.
He hit .279 with 26 house runs and an .850 on-base plus slugging share, whereas additionally main the key leagues in defensive wins above substitute, based on Baseball Reference. He gained the A.L. Platinum Glove, an annual award given to the perfect defender in every league, no matter place.
Whereas accidents slowed Correa at instances all through his seven years in Houston, he hit .277 with an .837 O.P.S. and smashed a minimum of 20 house runs in 5 seasons. He was a vocal group chief, residing as much as his hype as the primary total decide within the 2012 draft.
Correa’s brief and versatile contract in Minnesota stands in sharp distinction to the one Corey Seager acquired when he agreed to go away 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 via the Astros’ spring coaching facility 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 bother sleeping given the massive determination on his plate.
Gurriel stated Astros gamers had been shocked 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 facet of the game.
“We’re going to overlook him,” Gurriel stated. “He helped me lots right here, not solely on protection however with plenty 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 wish to speak about it a lot till Correa’s deal was formally introduced, however he stated, “It’s not very nice information if it’s true.”
