The Minnesota Twins have had quite a hectic offseason. After failing to make it to the playoffs last season, the Twins entered the winter knowing that they had a lot of work to do. And so far, they have done a good job at shoring up several of their biggest holes, which should bode well for their hopes of making it back to the playoffs in 2023.
The Twins needed more help in their lineup, as well as some top-tier pitching to really make a charge in the American League Central next season. They just shored up their pitching needs by pulling off a blockbuster deal for Pablo Lopez, and have added solid bats such as Christian Vazquez, Kyle Farmer, and Joey Gallo in an effort to shore up their lineup.
But easily Minnesota's biggest move this offseason involved re-signing Carlos Correa. After bailing on deals with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, Correa ended up finding his way back to Minnesota. And now that he's back, it's clear that the Twins World Series aspirations are back as well.
The Twins are World Series contenders with Carlos Correa
Correa signed a three-year, $105.3 million deal with the Twins last offseason, but it was really just a way for him to get an even bigger deal in free agency this offseason. And while his six-year, $200 million deal is certainly bigger than his deal from last offseason, it's not as big as the deals Correa could have had with the Giants or Mets had they not fallen apart.
Regardless, Correa has committed to be the Twins shortstop of the future, and the team has to be overjoyed with his decision. Correa put together a strong debut season with Minnesota (.291 BA, 22 HR, 64 RBI, .834 OPS) and was easily their most consistent source of production throughout the lineup. Losing him would have been catastrophic.
Keeping Correa in town keeps the best hitter the Twins had in their lineup last season around for six more years. Correa wasn't outrageously productive, but Minnesota struggled to get consistent production from every other spot in their lineup. Whether it was due to injuries or poor play, the Twins lineup did not produce as expected last season.
Re-signing Correa won't singlehandedly fix that, but the Twins are in a better spot to build a winner around him now. Byron Buxton is the other main star in this lineup, but guys like Vazquez and Jorge Polanco can hold their own playing as secondary hitters behind guys like Correa and Buxton. They aren't loaded with stars, but Minnesota's lineup is one of the deeper ones in the league.
When it comes to pitching, the addition of Lopez certainly helps, but the Twins made a lot of big moves at the trade deadline last season to shore up that aspect of their roster as well. They have a very deep starting rotation, and their bullpen also should be set to bounce back after collapsing to an extent during the second half of the season.
The good news for the Twins, of course, is that they play in the AL Central, which is currently one of the weaker divisions in the league. It was to the point where the Cleveland Guardians, who weren't expected to be a contender entering the season, ended up winning the division and going all the way to the ALDS.
The Chicago White Sox should be expected to bounce back after a disappointing season as well, but they don't appear to have the all around depth that Minnesota has right now. Their bullpen could be in some serious trouble, and their lineup lost their longtime leader in Jose Abreu. Right now, the Twins should be the favorite to win their division.
And at the center of that development is Correa's re-signing. His smooth bat and ability to constantly deliver big plays is precisely what the Twins need. Aside from Buxton, no one has the ceiling that Correa has, and certainly nobody comes close to possessing the solid floor that he has. Without him, the Twins would likely be aiming to finish in a similar spot as they did last season, which would obviously be less than ideal.
But now Correa is back, and the Twins World Series hopes should be following suit. Minnesota should be the favorite to win the AL Central this season, and if they can get a combination of solid bounce back campaigns and immediate contributions from their new acquisitions, the Twins will be a force to be reckoned with. And if everything goes their way, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Minnesota make good on their World Series aspirations in 2023.
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