The Minnesota Twins disappointing 2022 season will conclude with them missing out on the playoffs, despite the upgrades they made this offseason, and the fact that they play in the weakened American League Central. One of the upgrades they made in free agency last offseason involved signing star shortstop Carlos Correa.
Correa came over from the Houston Astros on a three-year, $105.3 million deal with the Twins. Correa has enjoyed a solid season in Minnesota (.287 BA, 22 HR, 63 RBI, .830 OPS) but hasn't been able to do what it takes to guide them to the playoffs. That doesn't really fall on Correa's shoulders, but it does feel like his first season with the Twins has left a little bit to be desired.
Despite Correa's massive contract with Minnesota last season, he can opt out of his deal after the season, and seems likely to do so. Correa has done a great job at maximizing his value, and could be set to land another huge contract just one season after landing one from the Twins. With the Twins season over, let's take a look at two big reasons why Correa shouldn't re-sign with Minnesota in free agency.
2. Carlos Correa can get more money if he signs elsewhere in free agency
Big free agency deals are common in the MLB nowadays, and Carlos Correa certainly got one last offseason. Not only did he get a ton of money, but he also got the ability to earn another big deal if he played well with Minnesota. As previously mentioned, Correa put together another strong season with the Twins, and could get another big deal in free agency.
It's going to be tough to eclipse the $35.1 million he would make over the final two years of his deal with Minnesota, but Correa could probably find that on the free agent market this offseason. There's not going to be a lockout that will cut free agency in half, and there's a lot working in Correa's favor to get a longer-term deal worth more money this offseason.
For starters, Correa is still just 28 years old. He's one of the best all-around shortstops in the MLB, and proved he can succeed even when he isn't playing on a loaded Astros team this season. He wasn't perfect with the Twins, but it's clear Correa would be an upgrade for pretty much every team in the league at shortstop if he ends up hitting free agency.
Many teams were in on Correa last offseason, and after seeing his production with the Twins, they may be willing to hand him a long-term contract that they weren't willing to do last offseason. Correa knew this, which is why he signed with Minnesota last offseason. He put himself in a great spot to make even more money this offseason, and whether it be with the Twins or another team, Carlos Correa seems set to profit off of his strong 2022 season.
1. Carlos Correa likely isn't going to win with the Minnesota Twins anytime soon
The bigger reason Carlos Correa should leave the Twins is because they have holes on their roster that Correa cannot fill on his own. If he wants to win as well as make money, Minnesota probably isn't his choice, because the Twins proved this season that they aren't ready to make the jump to being a consistent playoff team this season.
For starters, the Twins are going to be behind the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox in terms of talent heading into next season. The Guardians are extremely deep, and the White Sox had a very poor season that likely won't occur again next season. Minnesota has holes on their roster already, and chances are they will be exacerbated this offseason.
The lineup around Carlos Correa hasn't given him much help this season. Byron Buxton, Jorge Polanco, and Max Kepler all had down years, and all three spent considerable time on the injured list. Correa and Buxton are the only players in the lineup with an OPS above .800, and Buxton's was largely due to the fact that he had 28 home runs in just 92 games.
The pitching staff has also proven to be filled with holes throughout the season. The starting rotation has some solid starters in Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray leading the way, but neither guy has the stuff to be an ace for a playoff team. The bullpen hasn't had roles all season long, and they have blown as many saves (27) as games they have actually saved this season (27). That type of inconsistency is never going to get you into the playoffs.
If Correa wants to win, he should probably move on from the Twins. If he wants money, he may be able to get more from Minnesota, but chances are he can get more money from a team closer to winning than the Twins this offseason. Carlos Correa seems intent on maximizing his value, and while the Twins may decide to pursue him, it seems more likely that he will find a new home this offseason for these two reasons.
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