Among a dozen executives and league insiders, the New York Yankees are a popular choice to secure the services of two-time All-Star Carlos Correa in MLB free agency.
Outside of a bad final month of the season, the Yankees had a great year in 2022. They won the American League East again, and they reached the AL Championship Series. However, coming up short in the postseason once again to the Houston Astros is a clear sign the team is still a piece or two away from getting the franchise’s 28th championship.
The biggest story for New York this offseason is making sure they re-sign homegrown superstar Aaron Judge. He is the biggest talent on the market, and they will need to compete with several powerhouse organizations to sign the AL MVP to what will likely be a historic contract.
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However, while they work to bring back Judge, they have been linked to several other notable MLB free agents, including AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander and Japanese ace Kodai Senga. One player they haven’t been connected with much this offseason is shortstop Carlos Correa. However, insiders around the league believe that could change soon.
New York Yankees and Twins top choices to sign Carlos Correa in MLB free agency
On Tuesday, ESPN ran a piece where they got insights from a dozen MLB executives and insiders on top targets for this offseason. Such as where they believe Aaron Judge will land and which star shortstop will land the biggest payday.
Along with paydays — the group thought Correa would land the second-best deal behind Trea Turner — they were asked where they felt the four All-Star shortstops on the market would end up this winter. Surprisingly, despite not a lot of talking connecting the team and player, four of the 12 that took part in the story picked the New York Yankees as the organization that will sign Correa.
They were followed by the Minnesota Twins — who signed Carlos Correa last winter to a multi-year deal with opt-outs — and San Francisco Giants with three votes a piece, then the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox each with a vote.
- Carlos Correa stats (2022): .291 AVG, .366 OBP, .467 SLG, 22 HR, 64 RBI, 70 R
The chances the New York Yankees sign Carlos Correa only increase if they can’t re-sign Judge. However, he still might be a top option with Judge back on the roster in 2023. The Yankees also have a pair of high-level shortstop prospects in the system they hope to have on the big league roster next season.