Inside the Carlos Correa free-agent story that brought the Twins back. For many who have been following the process leading up to the shortstop signing a six-year deal with a vesting option with the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, it has seemed more like Correahog Day. When Carlos Correa reached an agreement with the New York Mets, his agency dubbed it Correamas Day.
Carlos Correa Transfer Saga
Correa traveled from San Francisco to New York before returning to Minnesota in the course of a month-long free agency odyssey, as explained by ESPN MLB correspondents Jeff Passan, Jesse Rogers, and Kiley McDaniel. The Giants turned to Carlos Correa, 28, the finest player still available on the free agency market after coming in second place in the race to sign Aaron Judge, and overpowered him with the fourth-largest contract in baseball history.
With a contract worth $350 million, Correa was slated to surpass Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, and Dansby Swanson, the other three elite shortstops who were eligible for free agency this winter, and establish himself as the team’s face in the NL West, which is becoming increasingly competitive. Correa chose not to sign with the New York Mets, who made a last-ditch effort, and the Minnesota Twins, where he played in 2022.
If a big-market team came in and snatched up Correa, the Twins officially said they couldn’t compete with them. Simply put, Minnesota’s 10-year, $285 million deal was insufficient. The Mets owner Steve Cohen, who had already spent close to $500 million on free agents this winter, was contacted by Boras while the Giants were hesitating and asked if he wanted to re-enter the Correa deal.
After Correa’s contract with the Giants fell through due to Cohen’s actions, the shortstop signed a brand-new megadeal with the Mets for 12 years and $315 million, which was still longer and more lucrative than comparable free agents. In the early hours of the morning, Cohen, who brokered the arrangement while on vacation in Hawaii, told the New York Post, “This takes us over the top.” For a team with a salary close to $500 million, Correa would shift to third base and start in the middle of the lineup.