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Carlos Correa on his future in Minnesota: ‘If they want my product, they’ve just got to come get it’

betsy helfand, pioneer press
·2 min read
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When Carlos Correa stepped to the plate in the ninth inning on Thursday afternoon, it very well could have been the last time Twins fans had a chance to watch the star shortstop playing at Target Field in a home uniform.

Correa said after the game that he has not yet made a decision on his player option — he has two years remaining on the three-year, $105.3 million deal he signed with the Twins in March with opt outs after each of them — but he has made it clear all along that he’s looking for a long-term deal.

And if the Twins want to make that happen, he sounds as if he is more than willing to have that conversation.

“When I go to the mall and I go to the Dior store, when I want something, I get it. I ask how much it costs, and I buy it,” Correa said. “If you really want something, you just go get it. I’m the product here. If they want my product, they’ve just got to come get it.”

But while the Twins have spoken glowingly about Correa and the shortstop has gushed about the organization — and did so again on Thursday — the type of contract Correa is expected to be commanding this offseason is likely to far exceed what the Twins are comfortable with.

Correa, who currently leads the Twins with a 5.1 bWAR (Wins Above Replacement per Baseball Reference), has until five days after the conclusion of the World Series to make a decision on his opt out.

“It’s a decision that — it’s never easy,” Correa said. “At the same time, we’re going to have some conversations here and there and see where it goes.”

Since he signed in March, the most logical conclusion has always been that Correa would stay for the 2022 season and then opt out of the final two years of his deal and seek a long-term commitment this offseason.

Correa signed his deal with the Twins — he became the highest-paid infielder with an average annual value at $35.1 million on the short-term pact — after the lockout ended, shocking the baseball world by signing with the Twins, and said he felt immediately welcomed into the organization.

As for another year — or more — in the Twin Cities, Correa said that with six games remaining in the season, those talks have yet to begin.

“There hasn’t been any sort of conversation,” he said. “Some people have come to me saying they want to talk this and that, but there haven’t been any talks yet.”

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