The Minnesota Twins have signed Carlos Correa to a $200 million contract, becoming the third MLB team this offseason to sign the All-Star shortstop.
Correa originally signed a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on Dec. 14. However, the club held off on his introductory press conference hours before he took the stage over concerns regarding his medicals.
Talks between Correa and the Giants ended abruptly, allowing the New York Mets to swoop in and sign the Puerto Rican native to a 12-year, $315 million contract on Dec. 21. Mets’ owner Steve Cohen announced the move, but the deal wasn’t official until Correa passed his physical.
New York’s medical examination of the shortstop came away with the same concerns. According to multiple reports, the Mets and Giants held long-term worries about an ankle injury that Correa suffered as a 19-year-old in 2014.
Correa underwent surgery to repair the fractured right fibula, with doctors inserting a metal plate to provide stability. During the 2022 season, Correa told reporters he hurt the ankle on a slide in September and the plate made a “vibrating” sensation that made the leg feel numb.
Now, after weeks of back-and-forth negotiations with the Mets, Correa is headed back to Minnesota.
- Carlos Correa stats (2022): .291/.366/.467, 140 wRC+, 4.4 fWAR, 22 home runs in 136 games
As first reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN, Correa is signing a six-year deal worth $200 million that includes a vesting option. Correa’s new contract maxes out at $270 million, but it is pending him passing a physical.
The Twins cleared Correa medically when they first signed him before the 2022 season, expressing no long-term concerns for his back or ankle. However, the uniqueness of two separate MLB teams flagging an All-Star slugger’s medicals and then not signing him means there are no guarantees Correa passes his physical with the Twins.
Why the New York Mets lost Carlos Correa
It became clear in the weeks following Correa’s unofficial signing with the Mets that the original $315 million contract was off the table. Agent Scott Boras originally wasn’t willing to take significant money off the table, citing interest from other teams.
As negotiations dragged on, Correa started fielding interest from other clubs. After a successful 2022 season in Minnesota, there was always mutual interest from the two sides. However, a signing seemed out of the question until recently.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets lowered their offer to only guarantee six years at $157.5 million. The remainder of their original agreement would only be earned if Correa achieved specific incentives.
As a result, the Twins struck quickly and made significant progress in negotiations to surpass New York’s final offer. With Minnesota willing to offer more than $42 million more than New York over the next six years, Correa turned down the Mets.