Infielder Carlos Correa has agreed to a six-year contract with the Minnesota Twins. He will receive $200 million to return to the Twins.
In March 2022, Correa signed a three-year contract for $35 million yearly with Minnesota. The deal included opt-outs after each season.
Correa finished his 2022 campaign with a batting average of .291, 64 RBI (runs batted in) and 22 home runs. Although he missed a combined 20 games in May and June due to COVID-19 and a hand injury, he played in 136 of the teams’ remaining 142 competitions.
Correa was one of four highly sought-after free agent shortstops on the market this offseason, including Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson.
On December 13, The Athletic reported that the New York Mets had an interest in Correa. Just a few hours later, the Puerto Rican native agreed to a $350 million, 13-year deal with the San Francisco Giants. Minnesota was offering ten years, $285 million.
The deal with the Giants was pending a cleared physical, scheduled for December 19, with a news conference following the next day.
On the morning of December 20, San Francisco postponed the news conference without explaining why. It was soon reported the team had concerns about Correa’s physical. Minnesota didn’t want to move forward without investigating the specifics of the Giants’ concerns.
In came the Mets; they negotiated a 12-year, $315 million deal putting Correa at third base for New York.
On December 21, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said: “While we are prohibited from disclosing confidential medical information, as Scott Boras stated publicly, there was a difference of opinion over the results of Carlos’ physical examination. We wish Carlos the best.”
Correa took a physical with the Mets team doctors on December 22. New York soon raised concerns about Correa’s surgically repaired lower right leg.
Minnesota remained in heavy contact with Correa’s agent Scott Boras, creating a potential deal if the agreement with the Mets fell apart. The Twins expected Correa and the Mets to finalize their deal, but Minnesota’s president of baseball operations, Derek Falvey, kept his baseball club prepared just in case.
Correa’s contract is for six guaranteed years with a value of $200 million. The total value can increase to $245 million if he gets an eighth year, but this is also pending a physical.
Correa has had appearances on the injured list for various reasons during his veteran major-league career. He tore a thumb ligament in 2017 that created a two-month absence from baseball, missed six weeks in 2018 because of a back injury and in 2019 because of a rib/back injury. Likewise, the range of emotion that Correa’s free agency created has now seemed to settle down as he will end right back in Minnesota, where he was last spring.
