By Terrance Turner
Jan. 10, 2023
Star shortstop Carlos Correa has agreed to a six-year, $200 million deal with the Minnesota Twins, sources told the Associated Press.
The deal is pending a physical — which will be crucial for Correa, given the recent turn of events.
Correa agreed Dec. 13 to a $350 million, 13-year contract with the Giants — who scheduled a news conference to announce the deal, then it called off hours before it was set to begin over concerns with a right leg injury Correa sustained in 2014. Correa agreed that night to a $315 million, 12-year deal with the Mets. They also had concerns about the leg and held off finalizing the agreement while attempting to negotiate protections. Barely a month later, Correa is signing with the Twins (allegedly).
How did we get here?
Background
Starting in 2015, Correa spent six years with the Houston Astros, winning a World Series in 2017. That championship was tarnished by a sign-stealing scandal that led to the team firing GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch. But Correa joined fellow superstars like Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve to power the team to World Series showdowns in 2019 and 2021.
After the Astros lost Game 6 of the World Series in 2021, Correa left. He agreed to a three-year, $105 million deal with the Minnesota Twins in March 2022. The deal contained opt-out clauses for the first and second seasons, according to MLB.com. On Nov. 7, 2022, Correa opted out of the deal and became a free agent.
Timeline
On Dec. 13, Correa agreed to a 13-year, $350 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. The Giants planned a Dec. 20 press conference to announce the deal. But just hours before it was scheduled to begin, the Giants called off the conference. They were concerned about an issue that came up during Correa’s physical. (In June 2014, while a prospect for the Astros, Correa injured his leg on a slide into third base. He later had surgery to repair a broken right fibula, per NBC News.)
According to the AP, the Giants told Correa’s agent, Scott Boras, that they needed more time to examine medical records. Boras asked the Giants to set a deadline to finalize the deal. When a 1 p.m. PST deadline was set and passed on Dec. 20, Boras reopened talks with other clubs.
The next morning, Correa agreed to a 12-year, $325 million deal with the New York Mets.
However, the Mets also had concerns about the leg injury. They held off on finalizing the agreement, and it remained in limbo through January. Now, Correa is re-joining the Twins. Congratulations to Minnesota (or whoever else signs Correa this week).
This story will be updated.
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