MAKE GLOVE NOT W.A.R.— Correa Back.

Twins

Jan 11

No one is happier that Carlos Correa is back in Minnesota than the Pulltab Sports’ cartoon logo guru. A day after I began thinking about a new logo for my Correa-facing Make Glove not W.A.R. column, Correa returned to the Twins in the form of a 6-year, $200-million contract with another four possible vested years. “Pending physical”, of course, something that’s said to be happening right now. The Twins could have sold tickets or livestreamed the physical.

Wasn’t Correa gone? Yes. I’ve avoided most of this drama in this space. Correa opted out of the final two years of his Twins’ contract in November. Minnesota was never seriously in the running before Correa agreed to a contract with the Giants for 13 years and $350 million. But trouble brewed in the form of a troubling physical - Correa had an ankle injury in the minor leagues in 2014 and could it hold up for 13 years? Just a before his welcome-to-San Fran press conference was set to start, the deal was off, and soon after Correa agreed to a contract with the Mets for 12 years, $315 million. But that deal was never consummated either. The Twins were lingering, but you never really got the feeling the Mets would lose Correa until late Monday.

So the Twins had to commit to more money up front - $33.3 million a year - but just for six committed years. Years seven through 10 kick in based on a number of plate appearances the prior year. Twins’ doctors and trainers are obviously familiar with him, and Correa was said to be a rare-if-ever visitor in the trainers’ room last year.

It’s truly shocking, both that it happened and in the way it happened. The Twins got their man, the most expensive free agent contract in Minnesota sports history.

This will be a story each and every day of the 2023 season, and not just locally. The Twins are on the map, baby!

This is a lot moolah for a guy who drove in SIXTY FOUR runs last year. The Twins offense was putrid, albeit barring a resurgent Byron Buxton and a last-chance Joey Gallo, what’s to change this year?

But to me it’s a strikingly good deal. Minimal risk (easy for me to say, I’m not writing the $200 million check) if you’re reasonably certain the ankle can hold up for six years.

Twins fans seem to be overwhelmingly in favor. Does it not bother the passive aggressive ones that Minnesota was his THIRD CHOICE (if that)? If there’s any consolation, it’s that this is less guaranteed money for super agent Scott Boras.

Now, no matter what you read on the Internet…The Twins are not interested in Trevor Bauer.