Minnesota Twins

For the third time this winter, Carlos Correa has agreed to a massive contract.

This time it's the Minnesota Twins coming through with a six-year, $200 million deal that includes a vesting option that could take the total value up to $270 million, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The deal, much like Correa's previous agreements with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, is pending a physical.

Correa's offseason journey began with an agreement on a 13-year, $350 million deal with the Giants. The finalization of that contract hit a snag over concerns with the shortstop's physical, which led to him agreeing to a 12-year, $315 million contract with the Mets...which led to that deal hitting a snag, once again over the physical.

As you could expect, social media had a field day with the latest development.

Of the three deals, this one seems likeliest to stick. Correa signed with the Twins last offseason, which means their doctors already have a good understanding of his medical history.

If Minnesota had any real concern about Correa's long-term health, it's unlikely the small-market club would be willing to offer the richest contract in club history. The six-year term also greatly limits the Twins' exposure in comparison to the Giants and Mets deals, which were doubled in length.

Will any of these factors stop the widespread mockery of this situation? Absolutely not.

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Carlos Correa has agreed to a contract.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Tuesday the veteran shortstop is on the verge of returning to the Minnesota Twins on a six-year, $200 million contract. The contract is still pending a physical, which proved to be the hang-up in his previous agreements with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets.

The Athletic's Dan Hayes and Ken Rosenthal reported Monday that Correa and the Twins had reopened negotiations as his deal with the Mets stalled.

Retaining the two-time All-Star is a coup for an offense that had only made incremental improvements (Joey Gallo and Christian Vázquez) this offseason. Here's how FanGraphs projects the Twins order in 2023:

Minnesota Twins Projected Lineup

1. Luis Arráez, 1B 
2. Carlos Correa, SS 
3. Byron Buxton, CF 
4. Jorge Polanco, 2B 
5. Max Kepler, RF 
6. José Miranda, 3B 
7. Joey Gallo, LF 
8. Christian Vázquez, C 
9. Nick Gordon, DH

The annual payouts for Correa aren't yet known.

Assuming the money is split evenly over the six years, his $33.3 million salary in 2023 would take Minnesota's payroll to around $151 million, the 17th-highest in MLB, per FanGraphs. That will be a little higher than the team's $134.4 million Opening Day payroll in 2022.

The organization isn't exactly overextending itself.

It's a clear signal of intent after the Twins lost 84 games and missed the playoffs. They also wanted to send the message they're willing to pony up for elite free agents, something their short-term pact with Correa last offseason didn't necessarily convey.

This will be the biggest contract in Twins history, eclipsing the eight-year, $184 million deal they handed to Joe Mauer in 2010.

The drama surrounding Correa raises obvious questions. Beyond relating to a past leg injury, it's unclear what specifically left the Giants and Mets so terrified to honor their previous agreements. Minnesota could be left holding the bag.

But this is a player who at 28 is in the prime of his career, and he's coming off a season in which he hit 22 home runs and posted a 140 OPS+, per Baseball Reference.

The Twins could prove to be big beneficiaries of Correa's bad luck.

Carlos Correa's whirlwind offseason continued Tuesday when he reportedly agreed to a deal with the Minnesota Twins.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Correa and the Twins came to terms on a six-year, $200 million contract that can max out at $270 million:

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported additional details:

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the "major part" of Correa's physical is already done:

Heyman noted Correa received a full no-trade clause in the deal.

The Twins are the third team Correa has agreed to a contract with this offseason. His previous agreements with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets fell through because of an issue that cropped up during his physicals.

Correa first agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with the Giants on Dec. 13. It was the richest pact in MLB history for a shortstop.

The Giants had a news conference planned for Dec. 20 to introduce Correa, but the team announced a few hours before it was scheduled to begin that it was postponing the event.

Per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, San Francisco had concerns about Correa's ankle from an injury he suffered in the minors during the 2014 season.

The Mets swooped in Dec. 21 to give the two-time All-Star a 12-year deal worth $315 million. Heyman reported Tuesday that New York was only willing to guarantee the first six years:

"We needed one more thing, and this is it," Mets owner Steve Cohen told Heyman in December. "This was important. ... This puts us over the top. This is a good team. I hope it's a good team."

Cohen's decision to speak publicly about the agreement with Correa was risky because it was not finalized and Correa still had to take a physical.

As it turned out, the Mets saw the same thing in Correa's ankle that gave the Giants pause.

Rosenthal and Dan Hayes reported Dec. 24 that the Mets "raised concerns" about the 28-year-old's leg, which was surgically repaired after the injury.

A former executive told Rosenthal and Hayes that MLB warns teams not to speak on the record before deals become official because "such remarks might persuade an arbitrator to side with the player in a grievance" if one were to be filed.

Rosenthal and Hayes also noted that the Twins, with whom Correa played last season, declined to move beyond the 10-year, $285 million extension they offered early in the offseason when Scott Boras attempted to re-engage them in talks after the deal with the Giants fell through.

Minnesota "also would not have advanced the conversation without investigating the potential issues" that San Francisco found in Correa's physical, according to Rosenthal and Hayes.

Unlike the situation with the Giants, though, ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported Correa and the Mets were "working through" the issue and a finalized agreement was still likely.

There has been no indication from Correa's on-field performance that the ankle causes him problems. He did miss 192 games from 2017-19, but those injuries were related to his thumb, back, neck and ribs.

Since the 2020 season, Correa has played 342 out of a possible 384 games. He hit .291/.366/.467 with 22 homers and 64 RBI last season.

Correa's long-term prognosis might be a concern because of the ankle injury, but there's no denying he has been an elite player for most his MLB tenure. The Twins are re-signing one of the best shortstops in baseball.

Carlos Correa may not leave the Minnesota Twins after all.

Dan Hayes and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the possibility of the shortstop re-signing with the American League Central team is "increasing" as talks "accelerate" between the two sides.

While Correa already agreed to the terms of deals with the San Francisco Giants and then the New York Mets this offseason, concerns about the health of his leg following physicals held each of the partnerships up.

Hayes and Rosenthal reported the Twins initially offered a 10-year, $285 million deal to Correa, which was notable but didn't match up with the 13-year, $350 million one he agreed to with the Giants or the 12-year, $315 million one he reached with the Mets.

Yet the report also revealed Minnesota "remained in constant contact" with Correa's side as something of a "potential landing spot" if those contracts didn't come to fruition.

Throw in agent Scott Boras reaching out to other teams, including Minnesota, and the idea of remaining with the Twins doesn't seem far-fetched.

It was somewhat surprising when Correa agreed to a three-year, $105.3 million deal with the Twins last offseason seeing how they are not a major-market team that offered a megacontract in the negotiating process, but he opted out of that contract after just one season.

However, Minnesota was seemingly pleased with the experience if it is willing to re-sign him after a tumultuous offseason for the 28-year-old, and it is surely at least somewhat familiar with his health status since he just played 136 games for the team in 2022.

Correa slashed .291/.366/.467 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI during those 136 games and is someone who could anchor the team's lineup in 2023 as it looks to compete with the Cleveland Guardians, Chicago White Sox and others in the AL Central.

The Correa saga has been filled with plenty of twists and turns this offseason, but it may end up right where it started in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Twins agreed to a deal with one outfielder Friday and may ship another one out in a trade.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, there is a "lot of trade interest in Max Kepler" after the Twins signed Joey Gallo. Heyman previously reported Minnesota agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal with the veteran Gallo.

Minnesota is certainly taking a chance with the addition of Gallo.

While he is a two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glover who drilled 38 home runs in 2021 after posting 41 homers in 2017 and 40 long balls in 2018. However, he was also abysmal during the 2022 campaign and slashed .160/.280/.357 with 19 home runs and 47 RBI while splitting time with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.

If he bounces back and rediscovers his form, this will be a worthwhile chance for the Twins. If he doesn't, and the team trades Kepler, it won't be what they envisioned.

Kepler, 29, is in somewhat of a similar position as Gallo.

He was excellent as recently as 2019 when he slashed .252/.336/.519 with 36 home runs and 90 RBI during the 2019 season while finishing 20th in American League MVP voting. Yet Kepler looked nothing like that version of himself in 2022.

In fact, he slashed .227/.318/.348 with nine home runs and 43 RBI in 115 games for the Twins last season. Losing someone like that wouldn't be difficult to overcome, although the chance that Kepler could return to form could convince some team to trade for him.

Both players will be looking to bounce back from disappointing efforts in 2023, although it remains to be seen whether they will both be in Twins uniforms.

The Minnesota Twins and outfielder Joey Gallo agreed to a one-year, $11 million contract on Friday, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Gallo split last season with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. Once among the game's premier power hitters, Gallo embarked on an abysmal 2022 campaign that saw him get essentially run out of New York before his midseason trade to the Dodgers.

"It makes me feel like a piece of s--t, honestly," Gallo said of Yankee fan reaction, per Randy Miller of NJ.com. "I remember playing here with the Rangers, watching [Yankees] get booed off the field and thinking, ‘Holy s--t! I feel bad for that guy.’ Now it’s me. I do appreciate people reaching out, but it makes me feel like I’m a problem."

Gallo finished the 2022 season batting .160/.280/.357 with 19 home runs and 47 runs batted in. It was by far the worst full-season performance of his eight-year career.

The 28-year-old had hit at least 38 home runs in every season when he's played at least 100 games before this year.

The Twins will hope Gallo's power is reawakened next season after he failed to rebound after joining the Dodgers.

It's worth noting that his average exit velocity and sweet-spot percentage have been dipping in recent seasons. There is a legitimate possibility the left-handed slugger never returns to the All-Star form he exhibited in Texas.

That said, Gallo still ranked among the league leaders in hard-hit percentage and draws a ton of walks. He's an all-or-nothing player and will almost certainly always be one.

But unless Gallo's approaching 40 home runs in a season, he's not worth the whiffs and mediocre defense.

Shortstop Carlos Correa reportedly turned down an offer to return to the Minnesota Twins before signing with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Correa declined to sign a 10-year, $285 million deal with the Twins. Instead, he agreed to a 13-year, $350 million pact with the Giants, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

At $350 million, Correa's contract is the richest ever for a shortstop, surpassing the $341 million deal Francisco Lindor signed with the New York Mets in 2021.

Last year's free-agent market was unique since free agency was interrupted by a lockout, which forced some top free agents to take lesser deals than they typically would have.

Correa was among them, as he signed a three-year, $105.3 million deal with the Twins after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Houston Astros.

The contract included an opt-out clause after the first year, and rather than taking a $35 million salary for 2023 in Minnesota, Correa decided to test the market.

That decision paid off, as the 28-year-old star secured the long-term deal he was unable to get last offseason.

While his annual salary of nearly $27 million is less than what he was making in Minnesota, Correa now has long-term security and likely won't have to test the free-agent market again during his career.

The Twins' final offer, as reported by Heyman, would have paid Correa more per year than the Giants' as well, but the extra three years the Giants were willing to add conceivably helped to seal the deal.

In Correa, the Giants are getting a hugely accomplished shortstop who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 MLB draft and went on to earn two All-Star nods, one Gold Glove Award and one World Series championship in his seven seasons with the Astros.

Correa remained productive in his only season with the Twins, hitting .291 with 22 home runs, 64 RBI and 70 runs scored, but Minnesota missed the playoffs with a 78-84 record.

The Twins have not been overly active in free agency with catcher Christian Vázquez being their only notable signing thus far. The only splashy signing still potentially available to them is likely that of shortstop Dansby Swanson.

Like Correa, Swanson was a No. 1 overall draft pick, and he went on to have a great run with the Atlanta Braves, securing one All-Star selection, one Gold Glove Award and one World Series win in seven seasons.

Swanson is coming off a career-best offensive season that saw him hit .277 with 25 homers, 96 RBI, 99 runs scored and 18 stolen bases, and he is the last of the big-name shortstops remaining in free agency.

Heyman noted that the Twins will "consider" signing Swanson, although they likely won't be the only team vying for his services.

Minnesota could potentially salvage its offseason by signing Swanson, but if he goes elsewhere, it will essentially be impossible to replace what Correa brought to the table.

Carlos Correa reportedly has no shortage of suitors as his free agency continues.

According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, "at least six teams are interested" in the shortstop with the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs having "the inside track."

This comes after MLB Network Radio's Steve Phillips reported Monday that the Twins and San Francisco Giants were the favorites for Correa.

Shortstop was a major focus of this offseason with Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson all hitting free agency. Turner (11 years, $300 million) and Bogaerts (11 years, $280 million) already signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres, respectively, and it may not be a jump to suggest Correa will command an even more lucrative deal.

After all, he is theoretically in the middle of his prime at 28 years old and has a World Series title, Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove and two All-Star selections to his name.

He spent his first seven years on the Houston Astros and then joined the Twins as a free agent last offseason. He slashed .291/.366/.467 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI for the American League Central team.

It doesn't come as much surprise the Twins are interested in keeping him given they signed him to a three-year, $105.3 million deal last offseason. That contract featured an opt-out clause that Correa eventually used, but it was clear Minnesota wanted him for multiple seasons.

As for the Cubs, their interest is nothing new.

In fact, Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted they pursued him last offseason before he signed with the Twins. Chicago met with Correa during winter meetings and was also connected to Bogaerts and Swanson at times this offseason.

Whether Chicago's ownership is willing to commit the type of money it will take to sign Correa remains to be seen, but the team is clearly looking to add a shortstop and move Nico Hoerner over to second base.

It will have to beat out the Twins and others, though, if that shortstop is going to be Correa.

Free-agent starting pitcher Carlos Rodón prefers to sign with the New York Yankees, but the Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals were "believed to be seriously in play" Tuesday afternoon.

Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media reported the news on the 30-year-old left-hander, who went 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA for the San Francisco Giants last season. He struck out 237 batters in 178 innings en route to his second straight All-Star Game selection.

The interest between the Yankees and Rodón is mutual, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Monday that a formal offer from New York was expected to be sent to the eight-year veteran Monday or Tuesday.

Heyman also reported that the Yankees' "main focus" was Rodón and that New York seemed "very serious and hopeful about this pursuit."

The Yankees, however, have competition. Heyman reported Sunday that the Cardinals were in the mix.

St. Louis has already made one major free-agent acquisition in catcher Willson Contreras to replace franchise legend Yadier Molina, and Rodón could be the team's ace.

Rodón is searching for at least a seven-year deal, per Heyman and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Heyman added that the Yanks appeared "reluctant" to give Rodón such a contract.

Rodón would help complete a tremendous rotation in the Bronx led by All-Stars Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes. He'd likely slot in between the two as the Yankees seek their first World Series appearance since 2009.

For now, Rodón has options as the top free-agent pitcher on the market. He is coming off a tremendous two-year stretch wherein he went 27-13 with a 2.67 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

The former North Carolina State star began his MLB career in 2015 with the Chicago White Sox. He signed as a free agent with the Giants in March and opted out of the second and final year of the deal in November.