In a move most inside and outside the Twins organization expected, shortstop Carlos Correa will opt out of his deal with the team and become a free agent, according to multiple reports Thursday.
Correa signed a three-year, $105.3-million contract in March with an opt-out after each season. He hit .291 with 22 home runs, 64 RBIs and 70 runs in 136 games in 2022.
"With the year that I have had, my health and my being at the best moment of my career at 28, that is the right decision," Correa told the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día.
Among many other potential suitors, the Cubs have long been rumored to be interested in signing Correa this winter. Correa added he's open to returning with the Twins on a long-term deal.
"I have a good relationship with Minnesota," he told the paper. "I am very interested in being able to return."
The Twins have had ongoing conversations with both Correa and his agent Scott Boras, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey told WCCO last week.
“Those happened all season long, not just in our last series of course,” Falvey says. “Ultimately we have a good relationship with his agent, you mentioned Scott Boras and his representation. We have (a good relationship) with Carlos and his family as well. So we've we've made no secret of the fact that we are going to continue to have that dialogue.”
Falvey added Correa has “earned the right” to see what the market for him looks like, but he's still hopeful the Twins are part of that conversation. He wouldn't confirm if the Twins have already made an offer to Correa however.
“I have every expectation we're going to continue to have open dialogue over the next month where we are talking terms and things like that,” Falvey said. “But in terms of specifics, I obviously wouldn't talk about that at this time.”
Correa was the highest-priced free-agent signing in Twins history, and it sounds like they’ll need to up the ante in order to keep him in a Minnesota uniform in 2023 and beyond.
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