Advertisement

Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton, ‘brothers for life,’ expect to lead Twins for next six years

betsy helfand, pioneer press
·7 min read
1

FORT MYERS, Fla. — It was a Thursday night last April, the Twins’ first off day of the 2022 season, and in an attempt to get better acquainted with his new teammates, shortstop Carlos Correa had organized a team dinner at Mastro’s Ocean Club near the waterfront in Boston.

Some time into the dinner, after he had ordered wine for the table, Correa noticed that Byron Buxton, seated next to him, wasn’t drinking any, so he dropped some gentle encouragement.

“He’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t drink wine.’ (I said), ‘This wine is good, right? Do you trust me?’ ” Correa said. “He’s like, ‘Hell yeah, I trust you.’ ”

In that moment, less than a month after the shortstop had signed his first deal with the Twins, Correa realized he had captured the star center fielder’s trust. Nearly a year later, it’s a moment Correa still looks back on as a pivotal one in their friendship.

“From that moment on, it was uphill,” Correa said. “Once you gain somebody’s trust, that’s what you want. And from there, you can build together, and we started building from there. Now, we’ve got a lot more time together.”

Six years, to be exact.

Shocking everybody, the Twins signed Correa to a six-year, $200 million deal this offseason after prior deals with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets fell through because of concerns with the all-star shortstop’s right ankle. Buxton is under contract for six more seasons, as well. He signed a seven-year contract extension ahead of last season.

Together, the tandem will lead the Twins forward into the future, and the Twins couldn’t be happier about the two stars who they’ve built their team around, both for their ability on the field and their personalities — though differing — off it.

“They’re complementary in a lot of ways, and I think they both know they’re central to what we’re trying to do,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. “If those guys are on the field, playing to the best of their abilities for the next however many years, we’re going to be in a pretty good spot.”

Carlos and Byron’s Team

It was early April, two days before the regular season started last year and Carlos Correa wanted to make something clear during a press conference with local media in Minneapolis.

“It’s not my team. It’s Byron’s team,” he said. “He’s been the guy who’s been around for so long. He’s the guy that’s led these guys to multiple playoff seasons. I believe in his talent and his leadership. This his team.”

At the time, it was assumed Correa was only going to be around for one season. Buxton was going to be around for seven more, and Correa thought it was important to be deferential to the star player in the clubhouse he had just entered.

Those words caught Buxton’s attention. Hearing them from Correa’s mouth, he said, meant a lot to him.

“Carlos, obviously, with his resume and back of the baseball card, could have come in and said, ‘Hey, this is me,’ ” Falvey said. “ … He didn’t do that. He deferred to Buck and I think he genuinely wanted to. What was cool about that was watching Buck kind of lean back in and say, ‘I want you to lead, too.’ ”

As Buxton dealt with a knee injury that kept him in the trainer’s room, and ultimately ended his season early, it was Correa who often helped put things in perspective for him. As the offseason hit with Correa’s future in Minnesota was very much in doubt, Buxton stayed in touch, serving as a sounding board and a friend to talk to.

Even when it seemed Correa was going to land elsewhere, the two stars kept in touch, and when talks between the Twins and Correa’s camp accelerated, Buxton was one of the first to know. One of the very first text messages Falvey received after the team agreed to a new deal with Correa, well before the news became public, was from Buxton, thanking him and expressing his excitement.

It’s no longer just Byron’s team. It’s Carlos and Byron’s team, and the center fielder couldn’t be happier about it.

“The bond that we made last year was incredible, but to be able to do that for six more years and … have your kids side by side in the stands, it makes it that much more better once we go out there, day in and day out, just being teammates and competing,” Buxton said.

Bonded by Similarities

Correa and Buxton’s careers were intertwined long before they both ended up wearing Twins uniforms, the top two picks in the 2012 draft, Correa first by the Houston Astros and Buxton next by the Twins. As teenagers, they attended the same showcases. As minor leaguers, they competed against each other, and played together once as Midwest League All-Stars.

They both debuted in 2015, futures as bright. And after years of facing each other, the two became fast friends when Correa joined the Twins last year. Now, their quest is to lead the Twins back to the playoffs and beyond.

“They’re the main core of the team,” third baseman Jose Miranda said. “They’re big-time players. They’re veterans. They’ve been in the league for so long. They’re amazing, not just on the field but out in the field. They’ve got great personalities, great human beings, humble. We can’t ask anything else from our two superstars right now.”

Leading the Twins into the future is a task they’ll approach in different ways. On the surface, the two appear quite different and it’s reflected in their leadership styles. Correa is loquacious, chatting with everyone in sight in English and Spanish and constantly checking in on those around him. Buxton is quieter and more reserved, but fiercely loyal to those with whom he is close.

While Correa always has had the personality traits of a natural-born leader, Buxton has grown into the role, accepting the responsibility that comes along with being the best player on a team. Their relationship, manager Rocco Baldelli believes, starts with mutual respect. Their strengths then play off each other from there.

“Carlos loves Byron’s electric nature on the field and the enthusiasm he shows for the game, for his teammates. And Buck really enjoys watching Carlos, listening to him talk about the game, and listening to him taking the game head-on sometimes,” Baldelli said. “They appreciate the way they each go about their business. It’s different, both very effective and both things that we need on this team.”

But while there are clear outward personality differences, many of the values they share are the same. That’s both at home and at the ballpark, where they strive to make their teammates the best possible versions of themselves.

“They work. Together, it’s unstoppable. What they can do together and what they can for a team together is great,” infielder/outfielder Nick Gordon said. “They’re both the same. You can pick C4’s brain. You can pick Buck’s brain. Neither one of them runs from question or runs from trying to help anyone get better.”

Buxton described the pair as “laid back,” and “lazy off the field,” their primary interests rooted in their growing families and the game of baseball.

“We work out, go home, play with the kids, and that’s it,” Buxton said. “There’s not really much more we want to do other than those things and talking amongst ourselves about how to make each other better.”

Buxton and his wife, Lindsey, have two sons, Brixton and Blaze, with another on the way. Correa and his wife, Daniella, are parents to 1-year-old Kylo with another baby boy due next month.

The two couples dine together on off days, and now their boys will grow together, just as their fathers have.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how our relationship’s going to develop from now on,” Correa said. “I truly feel that we’re going to be brothers for life after this, so I’m very excited to be next to him.”

Related Articles