When the Minnesota Twins signed Carlos Correa, it seemed to come out of nowhere. He had two other offers fizzle out, and he was returning to the place where he played on a one-year pillow deal, the previous season.
The assumption, at the time, was that the Twins organization would build around him during the course of his 6-year deal. But the Pohlad family has not followed through, on their end of that unspoken agreement.
The team is now up for sale, and ownership isn’t allowing newly promoted team president Derek Falvey to spend more on player payroll, than the $130 million self-imposed budget from last season, which was $30 million less than the franchise high $160 million in 2023.
Multiple veterans on the Twins roster are very realistic trade candidates. Willi Castro, Chris Paddack, and Christian Vazquez are the most available players, on roster. But the biggest underlying question mark is Carlos Correa.
Carlos Correa could be on the Minnesota Twins trade block
If the Minnesota Twins value payroll savings over winning, then the $36 million due to Carlos Correa in 2025, and the $120 million still guaranteed on his contract, could be the easiest way to pad the Pohlad pockets, if the right offer came through.
And MLB insider — former MLB GM — Jim Bowden (The Athletic) says, should the right phone call come along, Derek Falvy would have to seriously consider moving one of the only legitimate Major League superstars that has ever played in Minnesota.
“The Twins love Correa, including his leadership and what he brings to the culture of their clubhouse. However, their three best players — Correa, Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton — have been injury-prone. Correa has a no-trade clause and team president Derek Falvey has publicly indicated he won’t be dealt. But if they could trade Correa to get younger and lessen the health risk of their lineup, they would have to consider it.“
Jim Bowden on a Carlos Correa trade (The Athletic)
Any conversation about a trade immediately has to include the buy-in of Correa himself. The veteran has a full no-trade clause and owns a home in Minnesota. He has even indicated that he’d like to retire following his playing days with the Twins. That doesn’t mean a player who has won it all is comfortable playing out the string in mediocrity.
Trading Carlos Correa would be devastating to Twins’ immediate future
Despite dealing with plantar fasciitis and playing in just 86 games last year, Correa was Minnesota’s best player last season. His 4.3 fWAR led the team, and his 152 OPS+ came in just shy of a career high. He launched 14 home runs and posted five outs above average at shortstop. In a relatively young infield, he was the veteran catalyst that stirred the drink.
Carlos Correa is on another planet right now.
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) June 16, 2024
Third-deck shot makes him 3-for-3 with two homers by the fourth inning.
He's 22-for-40 (.550) in his last 10 games. pic.twitter.com/FJxjQtyftP
Given a change of shoes, new treatment plan, and how the offseason helped him last year, the plantar fasciitis could be in the rearview mirror. At least, that’s the hope. In that scenario, dealing a guy that will help you win is not something that makes a great deal of sense, for a team trying to get back to the MLB Postseason.
The Twins may need salary relief, but there’s almost no chance of this team making the playoffs in 2025, if he is not on the roster, and healthy. Teams can certainly call, but Falvey dealing the superstar he inked just a couple of years later would be a damning outcome for the franchise going forward.
Related: Minnesota Twins Linked to Two Top 40 MLB Free Agents
Some have suggested that trading Correa could make the team’s payroll more attractive to new prospective owners. But if new ownership wants to win in the immediate future, then you’d have to think the 30-year-old future hall of famer would be essential to their purchase. In the end, only time can tell this story.