In a move most inside and outside the Twins organization expected, shortstop Carlos Correa is opting out of his deal with the team and will become a free agent according to Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día and is also being reported by ESPN.
Correa, who signed a three-year, $105.3 million contract in March with an opt-out after each season, hit .291 with 22 home runs, 64 RBIs and 70 runs scored in 136 games this season for the Twins.
"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.
Correa did add that he is open to returning with the Twins on a long-term deal. "I have a good relationship with Minnesota. I am very interested in being able to return," Correa told the paper.
Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey told WCCO’s Chad Hartman last week that he has had ongoing conversations with both Correa and his agent Scott Boras.
“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 did say Correa has “earned the right” to see what the market for him looks like, but is still hopeful the Twins are part of that conversation. He would not say if he’s 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 Minnesota Twins history, and it sounds like they’ll need to up the ante in order to keep him in a Twins’ uniform in 2023 and beyond.
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