Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
In a move that surprised many around baseball, star free agent shortstop Carlos Correa agreed to a three-year deal with the Twins, Mark Berman of Fox reported Friday night.
The deal is worth $105.3 million with opt-outs after the first two years. Berman noted that it gives Correa the highest average annual value for an MLB infielder.
The move comes as a surprise not just because of Correa going to the Twins, who finished in last place in 2021, but because the 27-year-old signed for only three years. The reasoning, of course, is the high AAV. But this means that Correa will be entering free agency again no later than 30 years old, with the potential to sign another big deal.
Correa has been with the Houston Astros organization since they drafted him first overall in the 2012 draft. He made his MLB debut in 2015 and has been a star ever since. He batted .279/.345/.512 that year and won the Rookie of the Year award, finishing 24th in MVP voting.
Since then, Correa has been the Astros’ starting shortstop. He’s been named to two All-Star games, in 2017 and 2021, and finished 17th and fifth in MVP voting in those years, respectively. He also won a Gold Glove last year.
He won a championship with Houston in his age-22 season. The Astros have been to the postseason each of the last five years, including another trip to the World Series last season.
This is the second big move the Twins have made recently, with the team also acquiring Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela for Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt. With Correa joining the likes of Byron Buxton, Jorge Polanco and Luis Arraez, among others, it will be interesting to see if the Twins make a run this year. They won the AL Central in the shortened 2020 season.
