Carlos Correa is back in Minnesota. Back, but was he ever really gone?
Last winter, Correa signed a three-year, $105.3 million contract extension with the Twins that contained a player option after the first year.
It was an option that no one was surprised to see the prized shortstop exercise. There is no legal Minnesota sports betting; if there was, the smart money would have been on him testing the waters of free agency once again this offseason.
With the skyrocketing contract situations across MLB, there was money to be made for a stud such as Correa on the open market.
What transpired was one of the oddest free agent situations in MLB history, with Correa seemingly having agreements with both the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets over a couple of days in December.
First came the Giants, with a 13-year, $350 million dollar pact - pending a physical, which Correa did not pass.
Shortly thereafter, the New York Mets happily swooped in with a 12-year, $315 million contract that was apparently agreed to by all sides. The time came for the team's doctors to have their say and, once again, the deal was nixed. There seemed to be concerns about Correa’s health, stemming from an issue with a metal plate in his lower leg from surgery after a 2014 leg injury suffered in the minors.
Waiting in the wings were the Twins, happy to have Correa back in the fold. Minnesota, traditionally, has not been a team to hand out these massive nine-figure contracts, with only Joe Mauer, Byron Buxton and Correa’s pact last season surpassing $100 million in total value.
Knowing the value that Correa brings to the team, though, Minnesota was happy to welcome him back with a six-year, $200 million contract that has some built-in injury protection and could wind up being worth $270 million over 10 years.
Minnesota originally had offered a $285 million contract over 10 years. But with all the information that had come to light, the Twins were able to end up re-signing Correa to a bit more of a team-friendly deal.
The Twins undoubtedly are ecstatic to have Correa back. Now 28, Correa is one of the league’s top shortstops and at full health is absolutely worth the $33.3 million average annual value that makes him the 11th-highest paid player in the league per year.
Among all position players, Correa ranks fourth with a 12.7 WAR figure over the past two years. The 2012 first overall pick has a solid collection of hardware, with the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year award and a Gold Glove (2021) to go along with his 2017 World Series title as a member of the Houston Astros.
Correa had a solid first season in Minnesota, hitting .291 with 22 home runs, despite missing some time with COVID.
Looking at Early Line on Twins Odds
Since signing Correa, Minnesota has had its odds to win the World Series improve from +5000 to their current price of +4500 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Despite a poor record of 78-84 last year, the Twins still have the AL Central Division title in their sights as it is widely recognized as one of the weakest divisions in the league this year.
They are the third favorite to win the division with odds of +280, behind Cleveland at +140 and the White Sox at +180. Minnesota was in the mix to win the division for most of 2022 before falling off with a brutal final month.
With Correa back joining a young roster featuring AL batting champion Luis Arraez, Buxton and new signees Joey Gallo and Christian Vasquez, Minnesota sports fans and bettors should be salivating at the +280 odds in such a gettable division.
Minnesota failed to get sports betting on the books in 2022, but you can count on MinnesotaBets.com to stay on top of any developments here in 2023.
