Twins land free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa in stunning $105.3 million, three-year deal - Star Tribune

FORT MYERS, FLA. – The Twins pulled off a shocking early morning move Saturday, agreeing to sign star shortstop Carlos Correa in a blockbuster deal.

One of baseball's top free agents will get a three-year, $105.3 million deal with opt-outs after 2022 and 2023 to become a free agent again.

His average yearly salary of $35.1 million will make him MLB's fourth highest paid player and top earning infielder. He also will be the highest-paid player in Twins history when the deal is announced, pending a physical exam.

Shortstop has been a glaring area of need for the Twins this offseason, their biggest priority along with pitching. The Twins seemed to have acquired a starting shortstop a week ago when they traded Mitch Garver to Texas for Isiah Kiner-Falefa. But a day later, the Twins flipped Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson to the Yankees for Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela. That trade also unburdened the Twins from the remaining two years of Donaldson's contract, about $50 million.

With some money in hand, the Twins front office had been working hard for other deals, but their phones were pretty quiet for the past week. The Correa deal with his agent, Scott Boras, seemed to come together quickly and a bit unexpectedly, as many figured the Twins were more in the market for free agent shortstop Trevor Story.

Second baseman Jorge Polanco wasn't surprised.

"I knew they were looking for someone. And I'm glad they had a good one, a great one, in mind," Polanco said. "He's a good hitter, a good player."

Correa was the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft ahead of new teammate Byron Buxton, and became a two-time All Star with the Houston Astros, helping them to the playoffs in six of his seven seasons. The 27-year-old won the 2017 World Series, played in two others, and was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2015.

The Puerto Rico native, who made his big league debut at age 20, had a .981 fielding percentage and .279 batting average last season, hitting 26 home runs. He also won his first Gold Glove and had the third-best WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in the major leagues at 72, trailing only Angels pitcher-DH Shohei Ohtani and Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler.

His addition means Polanco can focus on second base, where he played the majority of last season to great success, when he hit career highs with 33 home runs and 98 RBI.

Polanco can now be sure of his position on the team — though he will still be able to fill in at shortstop if needed — and said he "can't wait" for Correa to arrive at spring training so they can begin working together.

An interesting aspect of Correa's contract are the opt-outs, meaning he could only be with the Twins for a season. The Twins, though, might only need him for that long, with top prospect Royce Lewis in the pipeline.

Prior to the pandemic canceling minor league ball in 2020 and Lewis tearing his ACL ahead of last season, Lewis was the future at shortstop. He played his first game since spring 2020 on Friday, so getting him the bigs by this season was a big ask.

"We needed a shortstop. I'm not on the big-league team. So I'm just here working to better myself and continue to gain some knowledge and wisdom around these guys," Lewis said. "So I think it's a great idea.

"… If I was in the big leagues, it's a different story. But I'm not. So they've got to do what they've got to do to win up there."

The Twins probably aren't done adding players in spring training, and could be focused on another deal to acquire a starting pitcher, although they would likely have to give up some top prospects. They have already sent their top pick in the 2021 draft, pitcher Chase Petty, to the Reds to get Sonny Gray, who projects as the No. 1 starter this season.

And with a shortstop in place, and the starting rotation improved, the season suddenly looks more promising.

"Yeah, we're going to be good," Polanco said. "We are going to be good, really good."

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