It's Official! Carlos Correa is Re-introduced as a Twin

[Theo Tollefson]

MINNEAPOLIS – After a long, winding road of free agency, Carlos Correa has re-signed with the Twins and the team made if official with a press conference Wednesday morning.

“The whole process was crazy but the end game was great,” said Correa on his return. “I'm happy where I'm at right now and I'm excited that I finally get back to work. I know where I'm gonna be for a long time and I can help lead this group of young men to where we want to get from here.”

“We knew this could take some time,” added Derek Falvey, Twins President of Baseball Operations. “Carlos is one of the best players in the game and he was going to have a lot of choices. We never lost touch, And Scott was great about keeping in touch with us ultimately, as things changed.”

Correa’s reintroduction with the organization came the same day his 6-year, $200 million contract with the team was announced. The deal also includes four years of vesting/team options as well as a full no-trade clause. Correa will be on the Twins through least until 2028, with his final year set to be 2031 if vesting and team options are exercised. 

“Carlos and Daniella, they gave me a narrow list and Minnesota was always on it,” said Scott Boras, Correa’s agent. “I will say this: that Derek did not let notice go. He was constantly in communication, constantly calling, because I think they knew they're the organization that truly knew the leadership value in addition to the skill and what he [Correa] could mean to a franchise.”

New executive chair of the Twins, Joe Pohlad, discussed the addition of Correa and his value to the franchise. “I think it's great for the organization, great for the fans. And hopefully what it reiterates to the fan base is that our commitment to winning, which is always kind of central to how we think about each move, it's gonna make us better.”

Correa reiterated this point saying, “The main goal is to win, and by winning I don't mean making the playoffs, I mean winning championships. And I think with the core group that we have, the right guidance, the right work ethic, and the right just atmosphere in the clubhouse, we can we can accomplish those things.”

The questions of Correa’s health that held up his deals with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets were addressed by all parties. 

“Going into those physicals, there was no concerns on my part. My body feels great. I played throughout the whole season and never felt better. So it was surprising, but that led me here, back to the Twins and I couldn't be more happier,” said Correa.

Derek Falvey also addressed the elephant in the room from the Twins side. “As Scott articulated, we feel really good about Carlos is right now. I think the structure of our contract allows you to see how we think about short term, long term with respect to that.” 

Falvey continued. “I would say that Carlos is ready to go. Chris walked out of the exam yesterday. He said he feels as good as he's ever felt about where he's at with the hands-on physical and otherwise. We've built the structure in a way that manages a little bit of the long-term risk associated with this. But we feel excellent about how he's rolling into 2023.”

The bottom line: it was a celebratory atmosphere, from the owner of the Twins, through management, and definitely including Correa himself. Despite the circuitous journey that landed him with Minnesota, he gushed about his return. “Like you said, last year, when I came in, I felt welcomed right away from the get-go. I felt like I was part of a family.

So throughout the whole process, to be able to communicate with you guys, talk to all my teammates, communicate through the whole process, talking to [Byron] Buxton almost every day, talking to [Jose] Miranda and all the guys, definitely like you said, my heart was here. So I’m happy we got this done and I want to thank you guys for that.”

 

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[jmlease1]

my goodness, it's actually a done deal! Love it.

I'm also enjoying the saltiness from Mets fans as they pretend they never wanted him in the first place, somehow dodged a bullet, they never would have done this deal, etc. What a bunch of lying clowns.

I'm thrilled with this. The team is taking a big swing here, and I love that. Eventually you have to take a shot, and Correa is the kind of guy that's worth going all in on. Maybe he gets hurt, but that risk is always out there. The upside is having an MVP-caliber player in your lineup every day at a position you haven't filled well for a long time.

Let's gooooooooooo!

[Melissa Berman]

Love this. Such a defining, shining moment for the organization. A completely mutually beneficial contract. It was evident to me that everyone involved at the press conference was genuinely thrilled. 

[NotAboutWinning]

6 minutes ago, Melissa Berman said:

Love this. Such a defining, shining moment for the organization. A completely mutually beneficial contract. It was evident to me that everyone involved at the press conference was genuinely thrilled. 

Totally agree! Seemed to be a lot of mutual respect shown. I came away with a new respect for the Twins organization!

[h2oface]

Third choice? Of course he wanted to be here all along. 

[HerbieFan]

Can't believe we're here.  Great day for the organization.  Great player, great leader, great influence on younger players.  Anyone who tries to find a negative in this is just being a typical Minnesota sports fan.  People.....it's Carlos Correa!  And he'll likely end his career here....in freaking Minnesota!  Let's not overthink it and just enjoy/appreciate it.

[tony&rodney]

Correa is a gamer. He plays hard and works hard to keep in prime physical and mental shape. So many things can happen but the Twins are lucky to have a shortstop who makes every play seem routine and takes professional at bats.

[PopRiveter]

Correa is a huge asset, but my most recent TD comment was to express I wouldn’t want him at 13yr/$350m

A lot happened since then. I checked out for awhile and to me the whole Mets things wasn’t worth a comment.

But now this contract. I’m psyched. This won’t weigh down the franchise to its detriment. It will pay a star player to be a star player. 
 

This is a winner for a MN fan.

[Melissa]

I watched the press conference on mlb network. The vibe was so clearly one of mutual respect and appreciation on all sides. It was fun to see (mostly hear) Carlos interacting with the reporters we hear from or read all the time. Mutual respect there, too, it seems.

[Nashvilletwin]

Love the deal; great to have CC back. Yes, it was lucky we got him back, but kudos to the FO for not only hanging around the hoop, but also actually getting a deal (btw, much more favourable to the Twins than the first offer) done in a tense, constantly leverage changing, rumor-filled environment. Hats off!

A few days ago, the all-in on Mahle/Gray/Maeda strategy for ‘23 was looking much more risky and maybe even ill-advised. The FO and Joe had to be worried about the team they’d put on the field and the ability to draw fans.  A healthy Correa in the lineup now changes that narrative dramatically - he makes the entire team better and much more interesting to the fan base.

It will be interesting to see how much more all in the FO goes this off-season.  With Correa now on board, an entirely new set of trades will probably be evaluated. Some players who were off the block might suddenly be back on and some who were on the block might now be off.
 

Another starter to hedge the risk of less than expected IPs from Mahle, Gray and Maeda makes much more sense now (I mean, time to put some more chips in now, right?). I for one just hope we don’t give up anyone who can reasonably be expected to break camp with the team in ‘24 because our best window if we play our cards right might just be ‘24-‘26.

[Doctor Gast]

I was impressed with everybody but especially Joe. It was great to see ownership this involved with the team. I could feel his excitement. 

[NotAboutWinning]

36 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

I was impressed with everybody but especially Joe. It was great to see ownership this involved with the team. I could feel his excitement. 

Seriously, we need a sarcasm font!

[Doctor Gast]

1 hour ago, NotAboutWinning said:

Seriously, we need a sarcasm font!

It wasn't meant to be. The excitement was there, although it was restrained.

[NotAboutWinning]

19 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

It wasn't meant to be. The excitement was there, although it was restrained.

My apologies. I thought Joe Pohlad looked very uncomfortable, but I’ll go with restrained ?

[Karbo]

Now if they can get a better manager, they have a chance to be a good team.

[Jeff D.]

SMART signing. Go Twins!

Twins Geezer............out!

[terrydactyls]

With Trevor Story going under the knife, the Red Sox have no shortstop.  Kyle Farmer just went up in trade value.

[whitsbrain]

It's encouraging to see the Twins make this kind of move.  They're signing substantial players to substantial contracts now (Correa, Buxton) and not just one-year deals on backend starters or giving washed-up players a second chance on the cheap. 

They are figuring out a way to manage risk.  It's not my money so it would be nice if they would spend it like the Yankees or the Dodgers, but that's not reality.  It will be VERY disappointing if Correa or Buxton go down for extended periods due to injury, but at least I have the opportunity to watch talent like this play for my favorite team.

[EGFTShaw]

8 hours ago, Nashvilletwin said:

 

Another starter to hedge the risk of less than expected IPs from Mahle, Gray and Maeda makes much more sense now (I mean, time to put some more chips in now, right?). I for one just hope we don’t give up anyone who can reasonably be expected to break camp with the team in ‘24 because our best window if we play our cards right might just be ‘24-‘26.

I think Gray will step up his innings pitched assuming the new training staff does its job.

Maeda definitely will need to have some innings covered as he comes back from TJ.

Mahle is a crap shoot until he proves is health, but should fall in between Gray and Maeda.

[laloesch]

8 minutes ago, terrydactyls said:

With Trevor Story going under the knife, the Red Sox have no shortstop.  Kyle Farmer just went up in trade value.

yes, and there's also Royce Lewis as trade bait.  

[Dave The Dastardly]

And the love-in begins.

[Fatbat]

Lewis isnt for sale. He is still rehabbing and 6 months away. He red sox are really going to stink this year….

[terrydactyls]

11 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

The red sox are really going to stink this year….

I have no problem with that!

[sampleSizeOfOne]

As expected.

[Kipp35]

Love that Correa is back, but please don't stop! We have a lot of other holes that need to be addressed and can be, now. Please!

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, terrydactyls said:

With Trevor Story going under the knife, the Red Sox have no shortstop.  Kyle Farmer just went up in trade value.

I was one of the people leading the charge for the Twins to sign Story a year ago. Shows what I know. And a reminder that you never know who is going to stay healthy. People were talking up concerns with Correa's back, but it wasn't a problem for him last season; Story spend a good chunk of time on the IL and now is having a significant surgery.

(It's also hilarious watching East Coast media backpedal on Correa now that he's with a midwest team. They've now discovered "sources" that practically have Correa in traction every day to get ready for games...)

[SockNet]

Odds Twins FO gets busted for tampering?

Flavey to Giants. "Remember that pitcher we traded for that you knew had a bum arm? We got irrefutable proof. Back off Correa or else... Dun, Dun, Dun..."

Falvey to Mets: "C'mon...C'mon..."

No evidence. Just That feeling of disbelief in the circumstances that brought Correa back to the Twins.

[sweetmusicviola16]

13 hours ago, h2oface said:

Third choice? Of course he wanted to be here all along. 

Yes, someone who is willing to say the obvious.

[Aerodeliria]

"...And I think with the core group that we have, the right guidance, the right work ethic, and the right just atmosphere in the clubhouse, we can we can accomplish those things.”

 

As the team is basically the same as last year, this statement seems far weightier than it might appear at first glance (i.e., we didn't have the 'right' guidance, work ethic or atmosphere last year...)

[puckstopper1]

Was hoping - for excitement sake - that Correa/Boras would have said something like "Minnesota was always on the list, but it certainly wasn't at the top."  Or - "it sucks that we had to lose out on $100M..."  Stuff like that!

C4 certainly make the team better, but to win those Championships that he desires is going to take some additional arms...