The surprising reason why Carlos Correa might stay in Minnesota

Rumblings around the league have noted that Carlos Correa will look to opt out of his contract with the Twins, but he may not do so after all.

The 68-67 Minnesota Twins are still in the thick of the playoff hunt, as they are only two games off division leaders Cleveland Guardians. The Twins' marquee offseason addition, shortstop Carlos Correa, who signed a 3-year, $105.3 million deal back in March has done everything he can to keep the Twins afloat despite a down year for his standards.

Correa is hitting a respectable .271/.352/.439 with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs, crucial for a Twins squad that's had their fair share of struggles offensively, but the rumblings around the league have noted that the 27-year old shortstop will look to opt out of the final two years of his contract that pays around $35 million annually.

But Correa says, not so fast.

Carlos Correa has been nothing but complimentary of the Twins organization, but there's also another underrated factor as to why Correa is strongly considering staying in Minneapolis: the reduced travel.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal (subscription required), Correa is much appreciative of the fact that more often than not, he finds himself back at home, able to eat dinner with his family.

“Another thing Correa enjoys about playing for the Twins is the reduced travel in the AL Central, where teams are more bunched together geographically than in the AL West, his division for six-plus seasons with the Astros,” Rosenthal wrote in his report. “When the Twins play an afternoon road game on a getaway day, Correa said he is often back in the Twin Cities in time for dinner.”

For reference, the Astros have travelled 37,989 miles (eighth in the MLB) compared to the Twins' 31,859 (17th), Rosenthal added.

This comes after Correa had praised the Twins organization for making sure the longtime Astro and his family would be comfortable in their new digs. He also lauded the organization for their use of analytics and how conveniently information on how to improve is processed within their clubhouse.

Whatever the reason may be, the Twins will be thrilled should Carlos Correa choose to stay, as he is well worth his contract. It remains to be seen, however, if Correa and the Twins could surpass the Guardians and take the AL Central crown.