Carlos Correa free-agency saga reportedly ends with surprise return to Twins

Maybe the third contract will be the charm for two-time All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa this offseason.

His bizarre free-agency saga seems to have come to yet another conclusion on Tuesday with the report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan that Correa and the Minnesota Twins are finalizing a six-year, $200 million contract. 

That deal reportedly includes a vesting option that could make it worth as much as $270 million. 

Correa spent the 2022 season playing for the Twins after shockingly signing with the team last winter. He opted out after one year to re-enter the free-agent market in hopes of landing an even bigger contract, and that is where things got weird. 

Correa’s first stop this offseason was with the San Francisco Giants, where he reportedly agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract. Yet hours before he was ready to be introduced by the team, a press conference was abruptly canceled, and less than 24 hours later he reportedly had a new 12-year, $315 million agreement with the New York Mets, continuing an offseason spending spree that would have pushed their payroll to previously unseen heights.

The Giants deal fell through because they had concerns over Correa’s physical and something that showed up regarding an old ankle injury. 

Shortly after his new agreement with the Mets, reports emerged that the team had a similar concern. That was a stunning development given that Mets owner Steve Cohen had already publicly talked about adding Correa even though the team never officially announced it and his baseball team never commented on it. 

That deal also fell through and brought us to this point. 

According to Jon Heyman, the main part of Correa’s physical with the Twins — including the ankle issue — has already been completed and cleared. 

On one hand, two different teams having long-term concerns over his physical should be a pretty big red flag. It’s not like one team got cold feet and backed out. Two teams, with two different medical staffs, reached the same conclusion. There is obviously some sort of potential long-term issue that gave these teams pause. 

Those were also 13- and 12-year contracts. 

The Twins are only committing to six years with this deal, which is a very, very different situation with far less long-term risk for the team. According to Heyman, the Mets were only comfortable guaranteeing Correa a six-year deal. Correa is still only 28 years old, and a six-year deal only takes him to his age 34 season. He is also still one of the best middle infielders in baseball and a bona fide star player. He hits for power, gets on base and is just one year removed from winning a Gold Glove in Houston.  

He hit .291 with 22 home runs, 64 RBI and an .834 OPS in 136 games for the Twins during the 2022 season.