MLB Free Agency

How about the Minnesota Twins jumping from the top rope to win the Carlos Correa free-agency sweepstakes?

Not the New York Yankees, normally big spenders who had a need at shortstop. Not the Houston Astros, who drafted Correa No. 1 overall 10 years ago before eventually winning one of three World Series appearances.

The Twins!

Suddenly, the AL Central isn't simply a breeze for the Chicago White Sox. The Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers and Twins are all making moves. The Cleveland Guardians haven't done much, but Minnesota signing Correa is significant enough to shift the AL hierarchy, if only for one season.

In addition to signing Correa, the Twins acquired right-hander Sonny Gray from the Cincinnati Reds and third baseman Gio Urshela and catcher Gary Sanchez from the Yankees.

With the new collective bargaining agreement adding a playoff team to each conference, Minnesota is ready to compete for a World Series immediately.

After all, Correa has opt-outs in the first two years of his three-year, $105.3 million deal. He will almost certainly hit the market again next offseason, provided he's healthy, so this could be a one-year rental for Minnesota.

Then there's Houston.

Losing a Franchise Icon

The Astros will still probably win 90-plus games. They are littered with stars around the infield with third baseman Alex Bregman, 2017 AL MVP second baseman Jose Altuve and last year's AL batting champion Yuli Gurriel at first base.

Twenty-four-year-old prospect Jeremy Pena is the leading candidate to replace Correa at shortstop. Pena is not too caught up in filling his shoes and is seemingly focused on forging his own path.

It's good he has this perspective. Taking over at shortstop is one thing. Filling the leadership void left by Correa is an entirely different story.

Correa became the Astros' loudest, most outspoken voice during the initial fallout from their sign-stealing scandal, which tainted Houston's 2017 World Series title in the eyes of many.

Correa admitted to using stolen signs but was adamant Altuve did not and defended his teammate against criticism from Dodgers star Cody Bellinger, who claimed Houston's second baseman "stole" the 2017 AL MVP from Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

In Game 6 of the 2020 ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays, Correa delivered a pep talk for the ages to lefty Framber Valdez on the Astros' way to forcing a Game 7 after trailing the series 0-3.

Correa just turned in the best season of his career, leading all position players in WAR (7.2). He recorded nine RBI in the postseason to rank sixth all time in postseason RBI (59 total).

Now the Astros lose him, just a year after 2017 World Series MVP George Springer left for the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency.

Consider they've also lost Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke, who were key figures in the 2019 World Series run, and the Astros that we're used to seeing keep changing.

Players such as Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez will step into those larger roles once held by Springer and Correa.

Twins Put AL Central on Notice

Minnesota's lineup this year will feature both the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks from the 2012 MLB draft in Correa and center fielder Byron Buxton, respectively. The Twins signed Buxton to a seven-year, $100 million extension Dec. 1.

Correa replaces Andrelton Simmons as a clear upgrade at shortstop. In 2021, the Twins were baseball's last-ranked team in wRC+ from the shortstop position, and Correa ranked sixth in wRC+ among shortstops last year.

In Sanchez, the Twins add a two-time All-Star who five years ago was the best-hitting catcher in the American League. He has since become a liability behind the plate and a shell of himself in the batter's box.

The change of scenery with a different well-run organization could serve him well if he's not cooked.

Minnesota will need more than Gray to solidify its pitching staff, but he is a start. The Twins went from back-to-back AL Central titles to last place in 2021, as the White Sox appeared to replace them as the class of the division.

That's much more of a question now than it was before early Saturday morning.

A Prove-It Year for the Ages

For Correa, seeing his friend Francisco Lindor get $341 million over 10 years and Corey Seager get $325 million over the same span has to be motivating.

The Astros made one unserious offer after another in the course of negotiations. Then the 99-day lockout, during which Correa switched to Scott Boras as his agent, also complicated matters.

Correa will earn the highest annual salary for an infielder this season at $35.1 million, but he doesn't get the long-time commitment anticipated at the start of free agency.

As exciting as this moment is for the Twins, it could be over after just one year if Correa stays healthy and plays up to his potential.

Astros teammates wanted Correa back for good reason. He's one of a handful of players who can change a team's trajectory.

The Boston Red Sox reportedly provided a major boost to their lineup Sunday by signing longtime Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, one of the top players left on the free-agent market.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the sides "reached an agreement" on a contract. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal followed up to report the deal was worth $140 million over six years. Boston owned a projected $171.1 million payroll for the 2022 MLB season before the blockbuster addition, per Spotrac.

Here's an updated look at how the Red Sox's batting order may shape up:

• Enrique Hernandez (CF)
• Rafael Devers (3B)
• Xander Bogaerts (SS)
• J.D. Martinez (DH)
• Trevor Story (2B)
• Bobby Dalbec (1B)
• Alex Verdugo (LF)
• Christian Vazquez (C)
• Jackie Bradley Jr. (RF)

The AL East should once again be among baseball's fiercest divisions, with Boston, the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays all attempting to claim the title.

Given that level of competition, adding a little more pop to the middle of the lineup was a must for the Red Sox before Opening Day.

Story provides that with 158 career home runs across six years. He's tallied at least 24 homers in every full season (11 in the coronavirus pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign).

Any concerns about how the move away from Coors Field could affect his numbers should be alleviated by the fact that Fenway Park ranks as the league's second-most hitter-friendly stadium behind only the Rockies' home, per Baseball Savant.

In turn, the biggest question mark may be how quickly Story can acclimate himself to second base.

He's never played a position other than shortstop in the major leagues, and he hasn't lined up at second since 2015 while in the minors. Even though it's still the middle infield, there will likely be an adjustment period, but there's only a limited amount of Spring Training during which he can begin the transition.

The need for more offensive depth far outweighed the defensive concerns, so it's no surprise the Red Sox moved forward with the Story deal despite having Bogaerts in place.

In addition, the Yankees were also linked to the two-time All-Star, so the Sox upgrade their lineup while also keeping him away from their biggest rival.

Coincidentally, Boston and New York open the regular season against each other with a three-game series at Yankee Stadium beginning April 7.

The Philadelphia Phillies reportedly continued to upgrade their lineup Friday night by signing All-Star outfielder Nick Castellanos.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported it's a five-year, $100 million contract, which brings the club's estimated payroll for 2022 to $234 million, per FanGraphs.

Here's a look at how Philly's batting order could shape up with the 30-year-old slugger included:

• Kyle Schwarber (DH)
• Nick Castellanos (LF)
• Bryce Harper (RF)
• Rhys Hoskins (1B)
• J.T. Realmuto (C)
• Didi Gregorius (SS)
• Jean Segura (2B)
• Alec Bohm (3B)
• Odubel Herrera (CF)

The Phillies are trying to keep pace with the reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves and the big-spending New York Mets in the NL East.

Adding Schwarber and Castellanos provided some much-needed on-base ability atop the lineup, and the club also picked up Corey Knebel, Brad Hand and Jeurys Familia in free agency to help overhaul its much-maligned bullpen.

Castellanos is coming off a terrific 2021 season with the Cincinnati Reds. He earned his first All-Star appearance while posting a .309/.362/.576 slash line with 34 home runs in 138 games. His .939 OPS ranked seventh among qualified MLB hitters, and he rated fifth among right fielders in WAR (4.2), according to FanGraphs.

There are a couple of concerns as he arrives to Philadelphia, though.

Most notably, his offensive numbers last year were inflated by playing his home games in the bandbox known as Great American Ball Park. His OPS was 337 points higher at home (1.109) than on the road (.772), and 23 of his homers came at GABP.

The silver lining in that regard is that the Phillies' Citizens Bank Park was the sixth-most hitter-friendly park in MLB last year, three spots behind the Reds' home, per Baseball Savant.

Castellanos' other issue is defense. His career mark in defensive runs saved is negative-93, with a minus-48 mark in the outfield and a minus-45 mark at third base, via FanGraphs.

Schwarber is also a lackluster defender, however, so having the designated hitter in the NL this season doesn't totally save Philly.

That said, the benefit to the Phillies offense, which ranked 13th in runs scored last year, should outweigh having one of them in the outfield every game.

Philadelphia and its newest arrivals will open the regular season with a three-game home series against Oakland Athletics beginning April 8.

The Minnesota Twins reportedly made a major free-agent splash to upgrade their lineup by signing longtime Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa.

Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston reported Saturday the Astros and Correa agreed to a three-year, $105.3 million contract with opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.

Here's a look at the club's projected batting order after the blockbuster move, which Spotrac noted increased its 2022 payroll to $107.3 million (20th in MLB):

• Byron Buxton (CF)
• Luis Arraez (DH)
• Carlos Correa (SS)
• Miguel Sano (1B)
• Jorge Polanco (2B)
• Max Kepler (RF)
• Gary Sanchez (C)
• Alex Kirilloff (LF)
• Gio Urshela (3B)

It's a mutually beneficial deal as the Twins needed another high-end bat for the middle of their lineup and Correa gets extreme contract flexibility that could allow him to return to free agency quickly as the financial impact of the new collective bargaining agreement comes into focus.

The 27-year-old Puerto Rico native spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Astros. He earned two All-Star selections, was named the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year and helped the club capture a World Series title in 2017.

He's coming off a strong 2021 campaign where he posted a .279/.366/.485 slash line with 26 home runs in 148 appearances and ranked third in WAR (5.8) among shortstops, per FanGraphs.

Minnesota's lineup now features good balance and depth, but as always its overall success will hinge heavily on the health of Buxton.

The 28-year-old outfielder is one of MLB's most explosive players when healthy, and he was off to a brilliant start last year before getting derailed by midseason injuries that limited him to 61 games. He posted a career-high 1.005 OPS when available.

If Buxton and Correa both play around 140 games or more, the Twins should be in the hunt for the AL Central division title for the stretch run of the regular season.

With that goal in mind, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Minnesota continue to survey the free-agent and trade markets to see whether it could land a starting pitcher or two before the season kicks off. The rotation could still use some work.

The Twins begin the 2022 campaign April 7 when they welcome the Seattle Mariners to Target Field for Opening Day.

The Boston Red Sox have reportedly shifted their free-agent focus to former Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story after Freddie Freeman agreed to a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported Thursday the Red Sox are "taking a look" at Story, who would play second base in Boston with Xander Bogaerts entrenched at short, but they face competition from the Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals and others.

Story spent the past six years patrolling shortstop for the Rockies. He compiled a .272/.340/.523 slash line with 158 home runs and 100 stolen bases across 745 appearances for Colorado.

The 29-year-old Texas native is coming off a 2021 season where he posted an .801 OPS with 24 homers and 20 steals in 142 games. He ranked 12th among shortstops in WAR (3.5), per FanGraphs.

While the two-time All-Star would represent an upgrade over projected starter Christian Arroyo at second base, there are a couple of concerns.

First, Story hasn't played second base at all in the major leagues and made just 12 appearances at the position in the minors. While it's not a drastic switch, it would still be a change coming amid a shortened spring training following the 99-day MLB lockout.

Second, the departure from Coors Field is always a factor for Rockies players, and that's especially true considering the middle infielder's splits.

Story's OPS was 220 points higher at home (.972) than on the road (.752) over the past six years. The silver lining in this case, however, is Fenway Park ranks second to Coors in offensive park factors, per Baseball Savant. That helps alleviate some of those concerns.

From a lineup-building perspective, the former Colorado standout is a better fit than Freeman, who would have taken over at first base, shifted Bobby Dalbec to designated hitter and pushed J.D. Martinez back into the outfield, where he owns a career negative-38 defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs.

Story would slide right in at second base, allowing everyone else to remain in their current spot, including Jackie Bradley Jr. and his 60 career DRS in center field.

That'd be a nice boost as the Red Sox attempt to keep pace in what's likely to become a highly competitive race for the AL East division title.

Free-agent first baseman Freddie Freeman posted a farewell note to the Atlanta Braves on his Instagram account Wednesday: 

I don’t even know where to begin. For the past 15 years I got to be apart of your organization. It was truly an honor. We went through the very highs together and some lows but those lows is what made last year so special. You watched me grow up from a baby faced kid to marrying my love [Chelsea Freeman] and seeing us bring 3 beautiful boys into this world. I’m so glad my family got to be apart of yours! To Snit, my coaches, teammates, training staff, clubhouse staff, and everyone who made Turner Field and Truist Park so special for my family and I over the years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It has been a blast to have you cheer for me and I hope I was able to bring smiles to a lot of your homes over the years. I gave everything I had day in and day out and I hope you guys saw that as well. Although our time has come to an end, I look forward to seeing and playing in front of you all again. When that time comes, I hope you remember all the wonderful memories we made together. I love you Braves Country! Champions Forever!

Freeman was drafted by the Braves in 2007 and has spent his entire 12-year major-league career with the team. He led the squad to a World Series title last offseason, the franchise's first since 1995.

The 32-year-old was in negotiations on a new contract this offseason, but Atlanta instead acquired first baseman Matt Olson in a trade with the Oakland Athletics. Olson was signed to an eight-year, $168 million extension after the deal. 

It likely put an end to Freeman's time with the Braves, which was seemingly confirmed with Wednesday's post.

There is plenty of interest in Freeman on the open market, with the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays all reportedly looking at the first baseman, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Freeman will still be remembered fondly in Atlanta.

In addition to last year's title, the veteran has a resume that includes a 2020 NL MVP, five All-Star selections, three Silver Sluggers and one Gold Glove.

His 43.1 career wins above replacement ranks sixth in franchise history among position players. 

Freeman should receive a warm reception the next time he plays at Truist Park, even in a new uniform.