Carlos Correa has agreed to a deal with the Minnesota Twins in what is quite a surprise.
News leaked out on Friday night that Correa agreed to a 3-year, $105.3 million deal with Minnesota. FOX 26 in Houston’s Mark Berman first reported the news.
Berman noted one very important aspect of Correa’s contract: he can opt out after either the 2022 or 2023 season, thereby making it a 1 or 2-year deal rather than a three-year deal.
MLB source: Free agent shortstop Carlos Correa has reached an agreement with the Minnesota Twins (@Twins) on a three-year deal worth $105.3 million with opt outs after the first two years. Highest average annual value for an MLB infielder.
— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) March 19, 2022
The news leaking out late on a Friday night could be coincidental timing, or it could mean that agent Scott Boras and Correa are not necessarily proud of the matter.
Correa switched representation a few months ago to Boras, perhaps indicating he was unhappy with how his free agency was going.
The short-term deal with the Twins may have a twofold meaning for Correa.
One, he could retest the free agent market next offseason. This time around, he may have waited too long to sign, which allowed Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Javy Baez to sign the huge shortstop deals. That left less competition to fight over Correa, harming his market. Two, there was talk that if Correa signed a big long-term deal this offseason, Boras would have to split the commission with Correa’s previous agents. Signing a long-term deal in a future offseason reportedly would benefit Boras more.
Though he’s not getting the long-term security of a massive contract, Correa may be setting himself up for greater pay on a per-season basis. He’s also assuming the risk of an injury or down season hurting his future value.
The Correa deal is a nice one for the Twins and also helps explain why they were willing to shed Josh Donaldson’s salary.
Photo: Aug 4, 2020; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
