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Last offseason, Scott Boras approached the Minnesota Twins with a creative idea. For as much as Derek Falvey and Thad Levine suggest a willingness to find interesting ways to get deals done, this was Carlos Correa’s agent throwing the Twins a bone. Despite never before being able to play on the playground with the big kids, Correa was open to a one-year deal that provided him some assurances. He was going to best Anthony Rendon’s previous infield-best contract by average annual value, and he had a fallback option should the year go poorly.
Early on in the season I talked with a front office source that signified an unlikeliness that the Twins could keep Correa around. It was known this was a one-year deal, and given the number of $280 million as a cap for where they’d present an offer, nothing more seemed likely. Then the offseason came.
Minnesota operated in a way that watched as pitchers and position players went off the board. They stayed out of other happenings while focusing their dollars on Correa. The problem is that the offer was never raised until the final moment, and even then, by just $5 million. The Twins didn’t view the Giants as the threat they were, thinking their offer was closer to $300 million. Following a counter from Boras and Correa of 13 years and $360 million, it hit Minnesota smack in the face. They were never close.
It doesn’t matter whether the Chicago Cubs or New York Yankees were ever interested. Steve Cohen even flew Correa out to New York simply to give him $300 million reasons to consider the Mets. The Giants could’ve waited until the last moment to hit Aaron Judge money, but the reality is that they still did so. With the Twins never surpassing the $300 million mark, they were never truly going to be in the running, and ultimately they came up $65 million short.
Splitting the difference suggests that the Twins were unwilling to go an additional three years and $65 million. That amount is less than $22 million per season, and could be negligible by the time they’d ever have had to pay Correa those dollars. In an industry surpassing $11 billion this past season, Minnesota had their one chance to overcome a label of being cheap or failing to spend, and they failed to make the discussion interesting.
It’s odd to think that the front office would see a willingness to pay Correa $28.5 million at age 38, but the hard and fast lunacy set in for years 39-41. The reality is that most shortstops start to hit a cliff somewhere in their mid-30’s. Correa isn’t likely to reinvent that wheel, and the back half of that deal was never going to go well. Suggesting they were fine with it, but stopping short of making an offer he’d consider, is an odd stance to take.
Maybe even worse, as Correa’s medicals fell apart and caused a change of course, the Twins weren’t considered again. Boras went to the last minute Mets and worked out a 12 year deal for $315 million. That’s only $15 million per year extra, and two years beyond where the Twins were. Minnesota’s unwillingness to move into a realm that the shortstop would consider left them in the cold a second time.
All of 2022, fans heard about how much Correa and his family liked Minnesota and the Twins Cities. When Byron Buxton was unveiling Minnesota’s new uniforms he talked of his former teammate and noted a desire to have him back. Now the front office has their $100 million man without the guy that he publicly suggested needing to be here.
As things stand currently, Kyle Farmer is set to be Minnesota’s Opening Day shortstop, The revolving door at the position continues, and Farmer couldn’t be further from what Rocco Baldelli opened with last season. Royce Lewis isn’t going to be back until mid-summer at the earliest, and he’s coming off a second torn ACL. Prospect Brooks Lee looks the part of a big leaguer, but he’s thought to be moved off of shortstop at some point. Austin Martin has already transitioned from shortstop, and neither Nick Gordon or Jorge Polanco are going back.
Baseball has key positions up the middle, and at the one opportunity Minnesota may ever have to lock down the role for a decade, they chose to value pennies on the dollar and cause themselves to again never be taken seriously. Correa may have moved on Minnesota’s contract had nothing else showed up, but the reality is that was never going to be the case, and now the Twins are left trying to figure it out once again.
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