Braves GM “Pumped” When Carlos Correa Signed with Twins

Mood swings ran rampant across the baseball world last month, when Carlos Correa was flying from west coast to east coast, signing two different $300+ million contracts at both stops, just to have them both ripped up and thrown away before the ink could dry. He eventually settled in the middle, both literally and metaphorically, for $200 million guaranteed with the Minnesota Twins.

The hopes and dreams that were manifested and crushed while the drama unfolded weren’t limited to those close to Correa or even the Giants and Mets fanbases. Rival fanbases — even rival team executives — were watching and cheering (or crying) as the Correa pendulum swung back and forth between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Braves General Manager “Pumped” to see Carlos Correa Land in Minnesota

One rival team executive who was paying close attention, at the time, was Atlanta Braves general manager, Alex Anthopoulos. The man who helped build the 2021 World Series champions confessed exactly that to a live audience recently, that included his local Bally Sports network.

After telling the cameras and crowd on hand that the Braves front office tries to keep blinders on as they navigate each offseason, Anthopoulos admits the Braves celebrated when news broke that Correa was officially signing with the Twins, not Atlanta’s NL East division rival, New York Mets (transcribed below video).

"We follow. We monitor. So when Carlos Correa ends up a Minnesota Twin, I am pumped." ???? pic.twitter.com/aBBObuC4D3

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) January 26, 2023

“People ask if you react when other teams are doing stuff? No we can’t react. We just can’t run a team that way. We have things that we believe in and things that we do. We have to keep the blinders on when it comes to that. But, we follow and we monitor so when Carlos Correa ends up a Minnesota Twin, I am pumped! He’s a great player. I don’t want other teams [in our division] getting great players because we know how big a challenge it is [to win the NL East].”

Alex Anthopoulos (Braves GM)

I’d imagine the rest of the NL East felt the same way when Correa finally settled in Minnesota, just like rivals in the NL West felt when agreements fell through with the San Francisco Giants.

Resetting the AL Central Now and in the future

But not everyone was breathing better when the Correa + Twins deal was announced and finalized. Everything changed in the AL Central when this unlikely reunion took place. This is an organization that looked more ready to rebuild than compete anytime soon.

After signing Correa and trading for starting pitcher Pablo Lopez, the 2022-23 AL Central looks more like a 3-sided dice roll between the Guardians, White Sox and Twins, leading up to spring training.

Beyond next season, the Minnesota Twins have set the bar on what type of talent other teams around the division will have to put on the field if they want a chance at regularly competing for the AL Central crown over the next handful of years.

That’s a far cry from what we all talked with family about during the holidays, when discussing the Twins’ chances, either this summer or beyond

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan