Twins Appear Ready to Pay Carlos Correa Over $300M

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Photo: Sam Navarro - USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Twins have made a conscious decision to push all of their free agency eggs into Carlos Correa’s basket. They’re all-in this offseason on keeping C4 at Target Field for the foreseeable future. Presidents, Derek Falvey and Dave St. Peter, have both made that extremely clear over the last month.

Players and coaches in the clubhouse desperately want Correa back, too. During the Twins’ new uniform reveal a couple of weeks ago, Byron Buxton called on the front office to bring his new favorite teammate back.

Rocco Baldelli hints at length of Correa’s offer

Then on Monday, head coach Rocco Baldelli took his turn in pitching the Twins and Correa on a return, saying, “You spend time [with new players] and you learn a lot about [them]. Well, we learned that we love [Carlos Correa] and we learned that we would do basically anything to bring him back and have him playing shortstop for us for the next decade.”

Baldelli, who sat down for a meal with Correa a couple of days ago, went on to say, “there’s still a real chance that Carlos is a Twin for a very long time”.

Obviously, Rocco knows a lot more about ongoing negotiations than any of us could dream of. Hell, he’s sitting down and eating with the guy. That’s why Rocco’s mention of “a decade” caught my ear.

Because it’s become obvious that the winner of the Carlos Correa sweepstakes will have to offer over 10-years and $300M+ if they want to be in the final running for his future services.

Carlos Correa > Trea Turner

The writing went on the wall when Trea Turner got an 11-year, $300 million deal from the Phillies, reportedly turning down a $340+ million offer from the Padres in the process. Correa is younger (by less than one year) and seen in many circles as superior to Turner.

At this point, anything coming in at less than $300 million and a higher AAV (Average Annual Value) than Turner, is probably off the table. Here’s Jeff Passan (ESPN) on the “Wake and Rake” podcast confirming that notion, Tuesday.

“I thought he was going to get $300M+ before Turner. After Turner, I think it’s guaranteed, at this point. I can’t imagine a scenario in which he takes any less than what Trea Turner gets. He’s younger. He is, if not his equal, then potentially a superior player.”

Will the Twins pay the piper?

In any other offseason or contractual situation, I’d be hard-pressed to give the Minnesota Twins organization any benefit of the doubt when we’re talking about contracts as long as 10 years and running as expensive as $300 million.

Yet, all signs point to their willingness to do just that. Sure, they’d rather Correa signs for bigger money and less years but if that’s not a realistic sell, they appear ready to go longer. According to LaVelle Neal (Star Tribune) the Twins have multiple packages on the table for Correa and they range between 6 and 10 years in length. LaVelle confirmed the weekend meeting between franchise brass, Correa and his agent, Scott Boras.

The Twins have floated multiple contract structures in an attempt to retain Correa, with higher annual average values for fewer years and lower AAV’s for longer years. The deals range from six to 10 years. And the Twins’ pursuit of Correa is not dead. They met with Correa and his agent, Scott Boras, in person on Saturday in the Los Angeles area. — LaVelle Neal (Star Tribune)

Just given the AAV it will take to land the 28-year-old shortstop (~$30M-$35M per season), the total value of the contract will top $300 million if they go beyond 8-9 years.

I’m optimistic…?

Carlos Correa isn’t going to give the Minnesota Twins a discount on his services, especially when he has so many suitors (Cubs, Giants, Padres, Dodgers). The Pohlads will have to open up their checkbooks in a way they never have before, to lure him back.

And for whatever reason, I’m optimistic they will find a way to get it done as long as the Padres, Cubs or Giants don’t blow everything up with an unrealistic offer that Correa would be an idiot to refuse.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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