Wednesday is a big day for the Twins. Period. The splash they’ve made with the signing of Carlos Correa shouldn’t be overlooked or diminished. AND if they’re going to maximize the impact he has on this season, Wednesday can’t be the ONLY day for the Twins.
There can be no doubt that it’s a historic day. Put simply, the Twins have never in their history gone out on the open market and signed the top free agent available. Never. Not once. And while the latest iteration of their front office has made dramatic changes behind the scenes, their lone attempt at displaying a different approach towards roster building than previous regimes - see: Donaldson, Josh - was just shipped off to New York with well-wishes on his future endeavors. So for them to go out and get Carlos Correa - even on what amounts to a one-year deal - is a clear statement that the club’s frugal history isn’t necessarily predictive of future behavior. It’s all the more remarkable coming off the heels of well-justified grumbling over the Twins (a team starved for quality starters) making a clear reclamation project - Dylan Bundy - their lone signing in the midst of what amounted to the deepest pitching free agent class in recent memory.
But it’s precisely for that reason that Wednesday can’t be the ONLY day for the Twins as the season draws ever-closer. The only way that paying Carlos Correa $35M in a deal that allows him to leave after a year makes sense is if you’re pushing your chips in the middle and truly going for it in 2022. When the front office announced their intention to compete after the 2021 season - a season where they traded their best starter and tried like gangbusters to trade their best position player - that statement was met with a fair bit of skepticism. And that skepticism remained in play right up until the moment that Twins Twitter exploded with the Correa news.
Now things are different. Now you have elite defense up the middle in Polanco, Correa and Buxton. Now you have a significant boost to a lineup that was hurt by the departures of Nelson Cruz and Josh Donaldson. Now you have a chance to make some noise in a division without a dominant front-runner. But to do so, your starting rotation HAS to look better than: Gray, Ryan, Ober, Bundy, and….? No one who’s honest can look at that group and think it can get you to the playoffs.
So the Twins need ANOTHER day. Another bold move. Another reason to fire up the fan base. If you’re willing to pay Carlos Correa $35M, why aren’t you also willing to part with top prospects to pry a starter or two loose from another club, be it the rumored deal with Oakland, or another surprise move? Modern baseball thinking for mid-market clubs may be all about consistency, stability and sustainability. But fans will forgive a few future down years if you give them a truly memorable run. Chicago has done that. Cleveland has done that. Heck, even Kansas City has done that. A World Series would be great. But even a run to the ALCS - which would necessarily involve the snapping of that pesky 18-game playoff losing streak - would buy you enough good will for a reset after Correa departs.
So enjoy Wednesday as a Twins fan. It's a big deal and worthy of being acknowledged as such. But keep your eyes peeled for another big move. Because for Wednesday to be as big a deal as it should be, the Twins need one more day.
You can listen to Carlos Correa's first Twins press conference tomorrow morning at 8am on 830 AM or on WCCO Radio's Facebook and Twitter pages.
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