Carlos Correa to the Twins - 3 Years, $105 Million

Astros probably wanted more of a commitment and didn’t want to play the same game again next year. I have grown to love Los but before last season there were major questions with him. And even now he doesn’t rake like some other ss around the league, I’ll wish the best for him next year but if/when he joins one of the evil empires after opting out my sentiments will change some.

Now hopefully it’s Peña time and the kid can hold down ss while providing something at the plate.

 

I think you're right and it's a sucker bet. Like letting it ride at the roulette table.

 

Correa is taking a 6 month business trip to Minnesota. In late September, his 2022 season will be over and he’ll start his quest for his bag all over again.

 

I think the worst case is a replacement level hitter with a good glove. Just not enough PA to know if he can break out to star status or struggles early.

 

Not feeling as devastated as I thought I would be. I’m pretty sure his physicals came back bad hence why all the big markets avoided him

 

Good for Correa (FYI, I'm being fecetious). He probably took the Twins deal to spite the Astros hard line stance on the contract they deemed fit.

 

I know that baseball is a business and all the cliche terms but..

Correa was drafted by the Astros. He lead the rebuild charge along with Altuve. Helped us get the 2017 championship. Was the vocal leader after the scandal.

All that history and all those relationships turn into a 3 year deal with Minnesota with an opt out after the 1st year?

I know the cliche - it’s a business but cmon man. This hurts.

 

The immediate blaming of Click and Crane is comical. Grow up. The world isn’t over. CC is a big boy and he made his decision. I get that everyone loved CC and his exit in this manner is emotional, but let’s wait for the story to develop. Keep in mind the goal posts have changed slightly—the goal is to be a top 6 team year in and year out. We all know October requires a large dash of luck. I suspect, like most of y’all, ego got in the way, as the optics of this deal align perfectly with Crane. Let’s wait and see. I highly doubt the first year opt out was the sticking point…I think it’s more likely CC was miffed at the Stros and did not give us the opportunity to match, which is on him and not Click/Crane.

Whatever. We will be fine. Losing him hurts but the Stros will be just fine.

 

sounds like story is open to a short term deal, I hope the Astros take that risk. There’s too many core players who are aging where we need to capitalize on this window. The competition is loading up, we should too. What frustrates me most is how long this drug on and how much money it tied up limiting what the Astros could do until it was resolved

 

Correa was never NEVER ever going to do anything that wasn’t 100 percent in his own best interests. It was all business all the time with that guy, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Loyalty in professional sports isn’t really a thing. There’s no reason to get twisted over it.

 

I am weirdly calm about this.

Not mad at Jim
Not mad at Carlos
(But really, the Twins? So where is he signing next year?)

Rather than splurge on Story or whatever’s left in FA, try to extend Tucker.

Spoiler

Cold Minnesota!
73-89 last year (will Rosenthal & writers kill Correa/Twins like they did Bryant/Rockies?)
Their aces are Sonny Gray & Dylan Bundy

Lost: Michael Pineda, Alex Colome, Andrelton Simmons, Josh Donaldson, Mitch Garver
Added: Carlos Correa, Gary Sanchez, Gio Urshela, Sonny Gray, Dylan Bundy

Playoff team? I don’t know.

He ain’t staying there for more than 2 years. Give it a year.

Now when/if he signs with LA, NY, Boston or Texas, then **** him.

 

Astros probably didn’t want another circus season of what-if’s and questions about Correa’s potential exit next year. They wanted stability. Also, Correa/Boras may not have even given the Astros a chance to sweeten the deal.

 

Houston is never going to get big time star players UNLESS we draft them (Dream, Watt, Watson, Yao), take a risk on trade (Harden, McGrady, Drexler, Barkley), or they person has a Houston connection (Ryan, Clemens, Petite).

Houston has been losing stars for decades: Campbell, Malone, Jimmy Wynn, Curt Schilling, Elvin Hayes, Hopkins, Watt, Watson, Harden. I mean look at all the HOFs on that list?

The question should be asked, what is it about Houston that makes athletes want to leave? In some cases we traded them, but some of those trades were inexplicable. Agents in all sports seem to keep their clients away. The last big time free agent we signed was Dwight Howard. Before that, it was Roger Clemens and Andy Petite. I don’t count Chris Paul, because we traded for him.

 

The weird thing is, this does not seem like the best deal Correa could have gotten (even once he decided he wanted a short term deal). It also would have made sense for the Astros to make a better deal even with an opt-out.

I say this not knowing what other moves the Astros may have going or what other concrete offers Correa had, but it doesn't seem like anyone got the deal that was in their best interest.

 

https://theathletic.com/3196068/202...table-reaction-from-the-athletics-mlb-writers

Spoiler

Brittany Ghiroli, MLB senior writer

And just like that, the entire balance of the American League Central changed.

Correa was the top free agent in the sport and his 7.2 WAR last year with the Astros is a colossal leap forward for Minnesota, which added one of the game’s most dynamic players who is still just 27. Sure, it could just be a one-year deal the way the contract is structured. But make no mistake, Correa wants to win now.

In one meeting with a potential team this winter, Correa laid out that team’s WAR for the following season and asked the front office what their plans were to catch up in the division. (He didn’t end up signing there.)

Obviously the Josh Donaldson move made this possible, giving the Twins some cash to work with. Correa will be the fourth-highest paid player in the sport this season behind pitchers Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole, and Angels star Mike Trout.

The Twins acquisition immediately puts them in the win-now category, signaling that the front office believes the team can rebound after stumbling to a last-place finish in 2021.

There is still work to be done in the rotation, and renewed optimism that Minnesota isn’t done constructing its 2022 team. You don’t add a player like Correa for the short term and not go all-in.

Jake Kaplan, Astros writer

The Astros’ aversion to long-term mega contracts during Jim Crane’s ownership tenure long made a reunion with Correa unlikely. But as the shortstop’s free agency dragged on, it seemed like there was at least a chance the two sides might find some middle ground. And now that we know what Correa was willing to sign for, it’s surprising the Astros weren’t willing to meet that short-term price. Whether the deal ultimately amounted to one, two or three years, the timeline would’ve seemingly aligned perfectly with the Astros’ optimal window to win. Jose Altuve’s and Alex Bregman’s contracts both run through 2024.

So, now what in Houston? If the Astros weren’t willing to pay for Correa, it seems unlikely they will do so for Trevor Story. The expectation is that they will give prospect Jeremy Peña a shot to run away with the job, and have Aledmys Díaz and Niko Goodrum as his backups. Their star-studded top six in their lineup will allow them to be patient with the rookie and break him in toward the bottom of the order, and there is also no reason they can’t be among the most aggressive teams at the trade deadline. If Plan A doesn’t pan out, and if the Twins fall from contention, I can already hear the Houston fans clamoring for a trade for Correa.

Dan Hayes, Twins writer

Talk about a pivot. All week long, the Twins’ story appeared to be Trevor Story. A high-ranking official confirmed the team’s strong interest in the ex-Colorado Rockies shortstop in the wake of the Donaldson trade last Sunday night.

Correa wasn’t part of the picture.

Not a chance. There’s no way the Twins would be able to lure him. They focused on Story and the opportunity they provided, allowing him to remain at shortstop when others wanted to convert him to second base. But as Story’s field of suitors got more crowded, the Twins altered their focus.

In doing so, they’ve given their chances of reaching the postseason an incredible boost. They’re adding about as much impact at shortstop as they could have hoped just six days after they traded away Isiah Kiner-Falefa, whom they originally intended to be their starter. But it was because of Kiner-Falefa that the Twins were able to make this move by shedding the $50 million remaining on Donaldson’s contract. With that flexibility and a ton of payroll space available, the Twins were able to bring in an absolute difference-maker in Correa.

Yes, Correa is likely here only one season. But the impact he can make on that season is greater than any free agent the Twins have ever added.

Aaron Gleeman, Twins writer

This is the biggest free-agent signing in Twins history, but that doesn’t even do it justice. Correa is the most shocking transaction the Twins have ever made, adding a top-five MVP finisher and a household name in the middle of his prime, with no real hint it wasn’t even in the works. Wow.

Think about the Twins’ underwhelming, often frustrating history in free agency. They just signed arguably the offseason’s No. 1 free agent and one of the most valuable players to hit the open market in the past decade. And just for a little extra drama, they did it in the middle of the night, as Twins fans were getting restless and skeptical about whether the money saved from dumping Donaldson’s contract would be put to use.

Forget trying to evaluate Story’s extreme home-road splits and how many years were safe to invest big money in the 29-year-old. Forget worrying about blocking shortstop prospect Royce Lewis should he get healthy and re-establish himself as a huge part of the Twins’ long-term plans. They’ve made the biggest possible one-season upgrade, adding a superstar at their main position of weakness, and come 2023 — assuming Correa opts out for another crack at free agency — it could be perfect timing for Lewis to take over at shortstop.

My assumption is that this move isn’t the end of the offseason plan, because the Twins still have the necessary spending room and trade assets to swing a deal for a front-line starter, as well as late-inning bullpen help. Correa pushes them from the edges of the playoff picture to smack dab in the middle, but another pitching upgrade or two would solidify them as favorites to be part of the newly expanded postseason field and legit threats to the White Sox in the AL Central.

What a difference one week makes.

Andy McCullough, MLB senior writer

Look, if you predicted this outcome back in November, if you thought Correa would sign a three-year contract (?) with the Minnesota Twins (??) after firing his agents and hiring Scott Boras (???) — please, use your powers for something constructive. The world needs someone like you.

Because this one qualifies as the first genuine stunner of the winter. The Twins appeared to be trending toward a rebuild when they dealt away Donaldson to the Yankees. If Correa was going to take a short-term deal, a reunion with Houston made the most sense. Who saw this coming?

Yet, given the circumstances, it does make sense. The teams who entered the winter in search of shortstops, like Texas and Detroit, had already found their respective players. Astros owner Jim Crane was always wary of a long-term commitment to Correa. The Twins — like, uh, a lot of teams — have the sort of financial flexibility to offer a massive average annual salary for a few years. Correa is signing for about $200 million less than he had hoped, but he will get another crack at that bonanza if he stays healthy and opts out after 2022. Or, for whatever reason, if he decides to play two seasons in Minnesota. Or, miracle of miracles, he wants to stay for all three.

Correa’s time as a Twin may be brief. But it galvanized a franchise that struggled in 2021 after contending the previous two years. Few saw it coming. I sure didn’t.

 

Or if the Astros wanted him here, they could have worked a deal.

 

This is just a silly reason to not get a player. They could easily just say next year "if you opt out, we're not interested". They'd have gotten Correa at 1-yr $35MM and no circus.

This was literally the dream offer for the Astros - it's better for the Astros than the offer they originally made.

Correa openly said he was insulted at the Astros' original offers last season - and rightfully so. They were laughable offers and it appears maybe that came back to bite them.