Carlos Correa, Twins agree to six-year deal
The wild Carlos Correa free agency saga might finally be over. Correa and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to a six-year, $200 million deal, ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report Tuesday. Passan reports that the deal includes a vesting option that can potentially net him an extra $70 million.
Associated Press’ Ronald Blum reported that his $70 million vesting option is set to be tacked on after the final six years — which begins at $25 million in 2029 — if he’s healthy. Each of those vesting seasons would become guaranteed if he’s logged 502 plate appearances — the minimum amount required to qualify him for some hitting awards (i.e. the batting title) — in the previous season.
The deal is obviously still pending physical for Correa — a minute detail substantially more important for Correa than it has been for every other signed player. He was not able to complete the previously signed contracts with the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants because the physical could not be fully cleared due to his right leg.
Though it seems like the Twins might not be as concerned with Correa’s knee compared to the Giants or Mets:
“The agreement includes a vesting option for four years and $70 million and will become official if Correa passes a medical review, which is currently taking place,” Passan wrote. “The focus will be on his lower right leg, which he broke in 2014 during a minor league game, and a source said the Twins expect to be comfortable with it. Correa has not spent time on the injured list for a right leg ailment in his eight-year big league career, but Giants and Mets medical personnel were concerned about how the leg would age.
“Should Correa pass his physical — the Twins are more familiar with his medical situation than any other team and earlier in the winter considered a 10-year, $285 million deal, which is around what the current deal would wind up at if the option vests — Minnesota will enter 2023 with strong hopes of winning the American League Central division.”
Correa opted out of his previous deal with the Twins — a three-year, $105 million deal that included opt-outs after each season — earlier this offseason. He slashed .291/.366/.467 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs in 136 games last season. Correa, who was the final top-tier free agent shortstop domino fall, is entering his age-28 season one of the premier two-way shortstops.
His $33.3 million average annual value for his new deal is the 10th-highest in baseball, 5th highest among position players and the second-highest for shortstops — behind only Mets’ Francisco Lindor — per Spotrac. He is slated to make $36 million across his first three seasons, $31.5 million in 2026, $30.5 million in ’27 and $30.0 million in ’28, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported that the Mets offered a 12-year deal with six years fully guaranteed worth $157.5 million, with the final six years conditionally guaranteed based off his health. But a deal could never be completed.
Nevertheless, one of the more hectic free agency sweepstakes now might finally be over, assuming this deal is finalized. Correa will be tasked with helping Minnesota — who’s had an otherwise quiet offseason — get back to the postseason for the fourth time since 2010 after they finished third (78-84) behin the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians last season.
This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for details.
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