With the Twins up for a potential sale and the front office facing payroll restrictions for a second straight offseason, there’s been a natural focus on the ways in which the club could look to reduce spending. Trades of Chris Paddack and Christian Vazquez have long been seen as a possibility, but more recently there’s been at least some national speculation about a more dramatic move. Joel Sherman of the New York Post recently opined that the Yankees or Mets should “test the waters” on the Twins’ willingness to move shortstop Carlos Correa, who has four years and $128MM in guaranteed money remaining on his contract (plus another four vesting/club options). Sherman opined last month that the Astros should explore a similar scenario.
Though there’s been no reporting to suggest that the Twins would actually consider such a move, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey apparently still sought to shut down any such speculation. Asking Correa (or any player) to waive a no-trade clause is “not something we’re focused on,” Falvey told Dan Hayes of The Athletic. The recently promoted top Twins exec also called Correa, Pablo Lopez and Byron Buxton “key” members of the roster. “I feel really confident those guys are going to be part of the ability for us to do what we want on the field,” Falvey added.
While Falvey, newly minted general manager Jeremy Zoll and the rest of the front office are clearly working on a tighter budget than they anticipated when signing Correa and extending Buxton (seven years, $100MM) and Lopez (four years, $73.5MM), that doesn’t mean the team is planning to step back or enter any sort of rebuild. Minnesota spent the majority of the season in possession of a playoff spot before an epic September collapse. Injuries to Paddack and Joe Ryan compromised the team’s starting depth, and the lineup went cold in conjunction. It was a disaster outcome, but not one the club feels is indicative of a need to tear things down.
Correa, 30, missed nearly half the 2024 season due to a bout of plantar fasciitis but played at a borderline MVP-caliber level when healthy. His .310/.388/.517 slash was 59% better than league average, by measure of wRC+, and Statcast felt his defense rebounded from a down 2023 showing in a major way. (Defensive Runs Saved was more bearish.) Correa’s 16.6% strikeout rate was a career-low, and he hit 14 homers in 367 plate appearances — just four fewer than he hit in 580 plate appearances during the 2023 season. His two-month absence from July 12 through Sept. 14 played a significant role in the Twins’ late-season deterioration.
Buxton, 31 next month, was limited by injuries once again — as has been the case in nearly every season of his career. Like Correa, he has a full no-trade clause. Also like Correa, he had one of the most productive seasons of his career when on the field in 2024. The former No. 2 overall pick slashed .279/.335/.524 — 42% better than average, per wRC+ — with 18 homers, seven steals and strong defense in 103 games/388 plate appearances. Buxton’s contract pays him $15MM annually through 2028, with a huge slate of incentives tied to playing time and MVP voting. He can earn up to $25.5MM in any given season, but if he ever actually reaches that figure, it’d be because he performed like one of the best players in the entire sport, at which point it’d be a bargain anyhow.
Lopez, 29 in March, is owed $21.75MM in each of the next three seasons. He doesn’t have trade protection in his contract but was listed by Falvey as one of the “key” players he’s not inclined to move even amid payroll constriction. Lopez got out to a rough start in 2024, pitching to an ERA near 5.00 through the season’s first three months before rebounding to more characteristic form down the stretch. Beginning with a dominant 14-strikeout performance in late June, Lopez logged a 2.91 ERA with a 25.7% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate in 105 1/3 innings across his final 17 starts.
The Twins have a good core of high upside but injury prone players in Correa, Buxton and Lewis. It’s an imperfect trio but its exciting and gives them a shot some other mid market teams might never have.
Three guys with MVP talent but as you say .. gotta play healthy
On a good day the Twins can play with anyone. And for a mid market team these days that’s a better bet than 3 guys who are healthier but less talented.
If only they had 3 DH spots.
Carlos coming back to the Astros would be a blessing, but I don’t think it is likely.
Cozy, but doesn’t fit
Why doesn’t he fit ? His replacement, Pena is one of the worst fielders (#5 in errors in all of baseball) and an automatic out at the plate.
“One of the worst fielders (#5 errors in all of baseball) and an automatic out” is a wild assessment about Peña, and completely ignores his contributions.
Premium fielder, premium baserunner, and roughly league average bat are all highly valuable at shortstop. Of course, Correa is the superior player, but Peña stays on the field.
By the way, do you realize that Correa was 48x more expensive in ’24?
Sure. Clubs may say they’ll trade 70mil worth of bad money to take on a net hit close to 60mil for 4yrs of Correa..but that’s about it.
I’m not sure why the Mets would “test the waters” on adding Correa. The reason they didn’t sign him in the first place was due to injuries. And while the Twins have gotten good value in the first part of the deal, he did miss 25 games apiece in the first two years and almost 80 games last season. Why add the back half of an expensive deal when they just cleared Verlander and Scherzer off the books? Especially when it would cost both prospects and money as I can’t imagine the Twins would want to eat any of that deal.
Right, it’s not like those health issues got better, in fact, they realize they’re still there and could flare up at any point.
The health issues he has had at the Twins are not related to the potential issues that scared the Mets off. Those potential issues have never materialised.
Oh, so another set of injuries unrelated to his already existing injury concerns? Oh cool, sign the Mets up.
Maybe because it’s 2/3rds of the deal he was originally evaluated to receive?
Why would either NY club want to trade for Correa??? He isn’t an upgrade over Volpe or Lindor; his contract is cumbersome; and he’s never healthy.
Falvey isn’t interested in trading Correa or Buxton because he knows no club wants to take on those contracts for players that are all but guaranteed to spend significant time on the IL.
He could play 3b for either team.
I don’t want him for the Yankees, thanks.
Yeah no thanks in Queens. No need for an almost encore.
Correa had a 3.7 WAR in 86 games. Volpe a 3.4 WAR in 156 games. Correa is a tremendous upgrade. What he has not been is healthy or cheap. The Yankees would still need someone to back up Correa in the 35-75 games he misses due to injury.
You’d be on the hook for a chronically injured player through the 2028 season for 30+ million per season. No. Thanks.
The Yankees need that $$ for Soto. Soto + Volpe >>>>> Correa.
And when Correa is on the IL, he’s a major downgrade from Volpe.
LOL
Joel can put it out there, and with offseason FA now in progress it’s Silly Season again.
Two years ago when Mr. Correa was a FA, the Giants wanted to sign him, but he flunked their physical. Then the Mets wanted to sign him, but he flunked their physical. Then the desperate Twins signed him to a long contract.
In the past 2 years Mr. Correa has played in 135 and 86 games (the needle is pointing down). Over the next 4 years he’s due $133,333,360.00. Then vesting options kick in for 4 years.
No one other than the Twins wanted him 2 years ago. So where is the market for him….short of the Twins packaging 3 of their best players along with him and taking 3 or 4 so-so prospects in return?
His contract will ultimately be negotiated in the sale price for the franchise…..down.
Bad management decision by the Twins
Your best post ever.
The best ability is availability. Mets position players were overall quite healthy in 2024. I don’t see Stearns adding any expensive position players with injury histories.
Why would anyone want Correa? Long history of injuries and hes way overpaid. He only performs in contract years. The only current “superstar” contract that is worse than his at the moment are Kris Bryants and Anthony Rendons. Once a dog, always a dog
Baez
Story
Correa will be traded a few times this offseason until someone forgets to asks for the medicals
Sounds like a Preller type situation
Cronenworth back to Minnesota to help offset Correas contract hit.
Correa at ss for the padres Bogaerts back to 2B
Why add another overpaid shortstop with health issues when the Pads already have one?
High risk high reward
Risk it for the biscuit
Correa is a part time player making full time money, not worth it
Trades of Chris Paddack and Christian Vazquez have long been seen as a possibility, but more recently there’s been at least some national speculation about a more dramatic move. Joel Sherman of the New York Post recently opined that the Yankees or Mets should “test the waters” on the Twins’ willingness to move shortstop Carlos Correa,
=========================
RPLFLMAO!!!!
As much as I’d like to see the NYY move on from Volpe, and then pay Correa $37M, that’s about a 0% chance.
$10M for a backup catcher with a negative bWAR over the past two seasons? I’m going to round that off to 0% as well.
I’m not sure that MLB-R should even acknowledge such poor speculation.
Sounds like buyers remorse.
Jerry “Dipstick” of M’s is a gambler, so he should trade for Correa. JP Crawford needs to go. Correa can play 3rd base in few years.
Jerry trades away the expensive players. Did you say goodbye to Castillo?
When I read this article, the first question that comes to mind is “why on Earth did the Twins give Correa a no-trade clause?”. At the time of his signing, Correa’s market had played out. The Twins were bidding against themselves. That contract should have been structured in the most team friendly way imaginable. The team had all the leverage.
Further proof that Scott Boras is better at his job than most MLB front office people are at theirs.
Boras is evil unless you are one of his clients
Captainmike;
No. He works for his clients and he’s doing is job.
He’s been the best professional sports agent of any sport
in any country in the world for over 45 years…..which is remarkable.
You’re on fire. En fuegoooooo.
Boras is genius in action, not evil.
What he knows is that teams hold all the leverage in negotiations until their front office decides that player X is worth almost any price, and stop engaging tactically and start bidding against themselves.
Nothing to the Correa rumors apparently, guess you can toss those in the trash
Don’t kid yourselves.
Every Twins player that costs north of $5 Million a year can be had….
IF
“The Price is Right”
Pohlad’s are the ultimate penny-pinching cheapstakes who run their baseball operations as if it was a freestanding, profit generating endeavor as opposed to an ego driven, status seeking, loss leader, HOBBY.
AND
With the team on the market, a low payroll and lack of injury plagued veterans on the roster would make the team that much more appealing to potential new owners. Once the “sale” takes place, the new owners would be free to clean house and make the team their own in terms of: players, office, and managers/coaches. That’s the way things are done.
Yanks should say NO to a Carlos trade
How much did the Minnesota ownership pay Sherman to float these rumors?
It was Boras – trying to move his player to a wealthy team.
So does that mean Correa will be gone by the Winter Meetings?
Possibly. It all depends on who and if Correa is willing to waive his no trade clause for the right trade offer. Unless it’s a big market team on either coast he’s not going anywhere and honestly those would be the only ones to have the money to take on his contract.
Correa and Buxton are exciting, excellent, players and boost the fan interest and the Twins overall as a product. There are likely far more benefits to keeping both rather than trading them.
It’s easy in life to spend other people’s money. If they can get out of paying a decent chunk for either, they should and will jump at the chance. They also supposedly have a good farm system.
Thanks? I must have missed the part where I get to spend an MLB team’s money?
Look, you’re attempting to discredit my point with a hypothetical. Which is not cool. Plus, to address your point, it takes a lot of incentive to convince one team take on another team’s bad contract, which both players are on the wrong side of 30, and it’s anyone’s guess whether they’ll play 100 in ’25 or beyond.
I saw an article suggesting the Tigers go after him. No thanks. He got offered a good deal by Detroit in his first free agency, spurned them and ended up with less. Now he’s oft injured and overpaid…like Baez except Correa at least produces when he’s on the field. If they upgrade from Baez/Sweeney I’d rather it be for Kim, Adames or another trade.
They’ll trade him. Teams in the lower tier of MLB have no interest in keeping high priced players. They’ll never be more than a farm system for the Yankees, Dodgers, Mets, Orioles at the trade deadline.
Bring Correa back to the H move Pena to CF
He’ll be the most asked about player before the winter meetings. The Twins would have to eat a significant chunk of his remaining salary for a deal to happen (assuming Correa is willing waive his no trade clause). My guess is he’s already angry at the 180 degree turnabout by the Pohlads. They’ve basically stated in a round about way that they plan on cutting the Twins payroll as much as possible before selling the team. This will hurt their win loss totals in coming years but make them much more pliable with a new owner. I also expect Buxton to get traded at some point this offseason and the Twins will eat a significant portion of his remaining salary (assuming he decides to drop his no trade clause). Both players will be salary dumps with the Twins getting next to nothing in return in prospects.
The final primary trade to happen will be Pablo Lopez. He will at least net them significant prospects of value.
In the coming years the Twins will be a sub 80 million, possibly sub 60 million payroll team. They will feign being poor again like prior to the stadium deal. That has been the Pohlad’s modus operandi for decades. The reality is that the Bally Sports Bankruptcy has given them the excuse to feign being poor again and they are running with it. In the coming years they will be a sub .500 team for at least 5-6 years.