The Minnesota Twins remain in the mix for Carlos Correa and talks between the two sides have begun to accelerate, reports The Athletic. Correa agreed to a 12-year, $315 million contract with the New York Mets on Dec. 21, though the deal has been limbo as the two sides work through contract language related to an ankle injury Correa suffered earlier in his career.
The Mets are not out on Correa, though last week it was reported the team is "growing frustrated" with negotiations. Scott Boras, Correa's agent, then started to engage other teams, including the Twins. Correa had previously agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. That deal fell apart over the team's long-term concerns about Correa's ankle.
Correa spent 2022 with the Twins. He signed a three-year, $105.3 million contract with two opt outs with Minnesota last offseason, and after a strong 2022, he exercised the first opt out to test free agency. The Twins reportedly offered Correa a 10-year contract worth $285 million earlier this winter, though that was before these medical concerns arose.
It stands to reason Minnesota knows Correa's medicals better than anyone, and if they offered a 10-year deal, they must feel comfortable with his ankle. That said, after the Giants and Mets had reservations, the Twins may want to review his medicals more closely. It must be noted Boras and Correa may be using the Twins as leverage in an effort to wrap things up with the Mets.
The night Correa agreed to sign with the Mets, owner Steve Cohen told the New York Post: "We needed one more thing, and this is it. This really makes a big difference. I feel like our pitching was in good shape. We needed one more hitter. This puts us over the top." Those comments could lead to Boras and Correa filing a grievance if the Mets walk away from the agreement.
Correa suffered an ankle injury as a minor leaguer in 2014 and had a plate inserted into his leg. He has not missed time with an ankle injury since then, though last September he admitted to feeling pain in the leg after a hard slide. "It was a little scary, but when I moved I knew I was good," Correa said about the pain in his leg following the September slide.
Now 28, Correa hit .291/.366/.467 with 22 home runs in 136 games last season. He missed time with COVID and a finger injury after being hit by a pitch.
