Deal is official: Correa passes Twins physical
Carlos Correa passed his physical exam and is officially a Minnesota Twin.
The 28-year-old shortstop and his agent, Scott Boras, agreed to terms on a guaranteed six-year, $200 million deal — that could eventually extend to 10 seasons — Monday after previous longer-term contract agreements with the Giants and Mets fell through because of concerns about Correa's health.
A major league source confirmed Tuesday morning that the deal is set.
Correa had surgery in 2014 to repair a broken right tibia and ankle, and a metal plate was insert to support the damaged bone. The Giants and Mets, after Correa had physical exams, were hesitant to guarantee the longer deals.
The Twins had no such reservations. If he stays healthy, his new contract will max out at $270 million through 2032.
Correa, though he was sidelined by back pain during two seasons while with Houston, has never spent time on the injured list due to the 2014 fracture during his seven years in the majors.
The new contract will pay him $36 million in each of the next three seasons (2023-25), then $31.5 million in 2026, plus $30.5 million and $30 million in the final two seasons, according to a breakdown obtained by USA Today. That's $200 million guaranteed for six seasons, an average of $33.3 million each that lands him comfortably among the 10 highest MLB salaries, and more than $10 million higher than Joe Mauer's franchise-record $23 million annual salary.
Those six are the only guaranteed ones, and considering Correa will turn 34 just a week before the 2028 season ends, the Twins have reason to believe they are getting his prime seasons. But the contract also extends for another four years, through 2032, if he reaches certain playing-time benchmarks, or if the Twins simply exercise a team option each fall.
Those salaries amount to another $45 million — $25 million in 2029, followed by $20 million, $15 million and $10 million over the final three — and are triggered if Correa reaches plate-appearance goals in the previous season. The benchmarks are 575 plate appearances to trigger the 2029 guarantee, then 550, 525 and 502 in the following seasons.
If Correa bats fewer times than stipulated, the following season's contract becomes a team option, so the Twins can sever ties if Correa misses significant time.
The contract contains a no-trade clause, but no provisions for Correa to opt out, as he did in October after completing just one of the three seasons called for in his original Twins deal, signed on the eve of spring training.
The front-loaded structure of the contract, even though it's less than the $285 million, 10-year offer the Twins made in November, reportedly was crucial.
The Mets reduced their guarantee by half, to only six guaranteed seasons worth $157.5 million, with the remaining six years dependent upon an annual exam by a team doctor to certify that the shortstop is healthy, USA Today reported. The Twins thus outbid the Mets over the first six years, making their contract more appealing, even as the total package is potentially worth $45 million less than the Mets'.
In return, the Twins will shore up one of the most critical positions on the diamond for the next six seasons, and retain the most productive hitter in their lineup. Correa, who has appeared in the postseason in six different seasons and won a World Series with Houston in 2017, played 136 games for Minnesota last season. He belted 22 home runs, second-most ever by a Twins shortstop, posted a team-high .836 OPS and became one of the leaders of the Twins' young clubhouse.
