Carlos Correa on Twins' inactive trade deadline: We have 'talent to win it all'

If Correa is disappointed in the Twins' lack of moves, he isn't going to say so publicly.

Jul 2, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa (4) regroups after hitting a foul ball against Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) at Target Field. / Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Leading up to the MLB trade deadline, Twins star Carlos Correa spoke openly about his desire for the team to add pitching help. He even recommended potential targets directly to Minnesota's front office.

They didn't heed his advice. The deadline came and went with the Twins' only move being a very minor one — the acquisition of struggling Blue Jays reliever Trevor Richards for a low-level prospect. No other team in baseball did less. The inactive deadline left some players "disheartened," reported The Athletic's Dan Hayes last week.

If Correa is disappointed, he isn't going to say so publicly. He was asked about the topic this weekend and gave a careful response.

"We’ve got to stop focusing on what the outside help might have looked like and just focus on what we have in-house,” Correa said, via The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman. “You know, like I tell the players, there’s no better trade deadline addition than taking our game to a different level. There’s so much potential on this team, and I don’t think we’ve fully reached it yet."

“I think we have the talent to win it all," he added. "If we stay healthy and stay on the field, and keep improving, I think we’re going to be in a great spot."

The Twins are 62-48 after completing a sweep of the White Sox, who have lost 20 in a row. Minnesota is 4.5 games back of Cleveland in the AL Central race with a huge four-game series at Target Field coming up this weekend. In the wild card race, the Twins are three games up on the Red Sox.

Correa's point about health is a big one. Whether they added any pitching at the deadline or not, the most important factor for this Twins team down the stretch was always going to be the availability of the injury-prone Correa, Byron Buxton, and Royce Lewis trio. When those three are in the lineup, the Twins have a chance, especially given the way Pablo Lopez, Bailey Ober, and Joe Ryan have pitched lately.

At the moment, Buxton and Lewis are healthy and hitting bombs for the Twins. (Buxton left Sunday's game after colliding with the outfield wall while making a great catch, but he's apparently just fine). Correa, who has been out since July 12 due to plantar fasciitis, is progressing towards a return. He recently began jogging, hitting, and fielding drills, with the next step being sprinting. Correa wants to wait until he's fully healed before he comes back because he doesn't want any risk of re-injury.