Oct 16, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) reacts after fouling out against the Boston Red Sox during the second inning in game two of the 2021 ALCS at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
MLBBy Matt Clapp on

Carlos Correa has picked his new team, and it’s a big surprise.

The top free agent of the 2022 class is signing with the Minnesota Twins, as first reported by Mark Berman of Fox-26 (Houston) late on Friday night. It’s a three-year, $105.3 million deal with opt-outs after each of the first two years.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan confirms the news, adding that the Twins will pay Correa $35.1 million in each of the three years.

The Twins finished in last place in the AL Central last season with 73 wins. Before this signing, FanGraphs projected the Twins for 79 wins this season — 10 wins behind the Chicago White Sox — and gave Minnesota 25% playoff odds.

So, this is both a stunning landing spot and contract for a player that most evaluators figured would be signing a deal closer to $300 million with a contender.

But the opt-outs will give Correa the chance to just do that over one of the next two offseasons if he so chooses. Maybe he feels the market and/or teams he’d like to play for will be more to his liking next offseason. After all, he’s only 27 years old, so he’d still be younger than the average free agent (most are 30-plus) over the next two offseasons anyway.

And maybe he just likes Minnesota and decides to stay there all three years. Maybe they even surprise and contend with him.

Correa certainly helps the Twins’ chances to be a surprise contender. He was valued at 7.2 wins above replacement (WAR) by Baseball Reference in 2021, and 5.8 WAR by FanGraphs. He’s a rare talent that is a terrific hitter — .279/.366/.485 slash line in 2021 — and elite defender at a premium position. He led literally all qualified MLB defenders in defensive runs saved (DRS) last season, with 20 DRS — something the Philadelphia Phillies could use — at shortstop for the Houston Astros. If the bat were to slump in a season, his defense still provides a ton of value.

Add up his age, bat, and defense at a premium position, and it would be hard for Correa to “bust”, especially over a short-term deal.

Here’s a sampling of how the baseball world is reacting to the late-night stunning news:

https://twitter.com/QuashTagGaming/status/1505059758230814722

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor at The Comeback. He attended Colorado State University, wishes he was Saved by the Bell's Zack Morris, and idolizes Larry David. And loves pizza and dogs because obviously.

He can be followed on Twitter at @Matt2Clapp (also @TheBlogfines for Cubs/MLB tweets and @DaBearNecess for Bears/NFL tweets), and can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

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