Carlos Correa Opting Out Of Twins Deal, Becoming A Free Agent Again
Despite not playing in the postseason for the first time since 2016, Carlos Correa is still making headlines this October.
The star shortstop told El Nuevo Día that he will opt out of his deal with the Twins and become a free agent again this offseason. The 28-year-old Correa signed a three-year, $105.3 million deal with the Twins last offseason after failing to land a long-term deal, but the pact included opt-outs after the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
"With the year that I have had, my health and my being at the best moment of my career at 28, that is the right decision," Correa told the Puerto Rican paper.
The splashiest free agent signing in franchise history, Correa is coming off a stellar first season in Minnesota. He posted a .291/.366/.467 slash line while adding 24 doubles, 22 home runs, 64 RBI, a 140 OPS+ and a 5.4 bWAR for the third-place Twins.
Correa has said that he is open to staying in Minnesota, a point that he reiterated to El Nuevo Día.
"I have a good relationship with Minnesota. I am very interested in being able to return," Correa said. "I have been in this business for a long time, and I know that things do not always go the way one wants them to."
Correa learned that lesson last offseason, when he was seeking a deal worth $330-$350 million before the lockout, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Correa didn't sign with the Twins until after the lockout in March.
It's hard to see the Twins forking over that type of money, but an enjoyable season in Minnesota could convince Correa to lower his asking price again.
A two-time All-Star, Correa spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Astros. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2015 and then the World Series in 2017 before becoming one of the faces of Houston's cheating scandal.
He is a .279/.357/.479 career hitter with 155 home runs and 553 RBI.
