Carlos Correa certainly had a free-agency experience to remember this offseason, but the saga *finally* appears to be reaching its end.
After seeing massive deals with the Giants and Mets fall through due to his physical, Correa agreed to terms on a six-year, $200-million deal with the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday. Correa played this past season in Minnesota before opting out of his contract to test the open market. That was when concerns about his ankle stalled separate 13-year and 12-year agreements.
The six-year contract with the Twins seemingly gave the club protection should Correa’s ankle issues worsen while also giving Correa a lucrative deal ($33.3 million per year on average).
BREAKING: Shortstop Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins are finalizing a six-year, $200 million contract, sources tell ESPN. The deal has a vesting option that can max out at $270 million. It is pending physical.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 10, 2023
Of course, the “pending physical” part of the agreement has proven to be a huge hurdle for Correa, but this time, the expectation is for Correa to finalize the deal with the Twins.
Sources: The major part of Correa’s physical is complete — including the ankle at issue — so there’s nothing foreseen to stop Correa’s return to the Twins
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 10, 2023
That didn’t stop MLB fans from making jokes about Correa’s wild three-team free agency.
This was how Twitter reacted
Carlos Correa showing up to Minnesota Twins spring training. pic.twitter.com/Ro66oxGOt3
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) January 10, 2023
Carlos Correa at his physical pic.twitter.com/eSgVbgzFMg
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) January 10, 2023
Carlos Correa’s tenure with the Giants and Mets. pic.twitter.com/5cKZpyxLYq
— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) January 10, 2023
Carlos Correa in free agency. pic.twitter.com/0LELKSLA8X
— Evan Daniel (@itsmrevandaniel) January 10, 2023
How MLB teams passing around Carlos Correa pic.twitter.com/8faUZgnMDg
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) January 10, 2023
Correa trying to finalize a deal this offseason pic.twitter.com/e88QyeT5AZ
— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) January 10, 2023
Correa trying to finalize a deal this offseason pic.twitter.com/e88QyeT5AZ
— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) January 10, 2023
Scott Boras watching the Twins doctors use the knee hammer thingy on Carlos Correa pic.twitter.com/lZe9ge2Atc
— Michael Bradburn (@MWBII) January 10, 2023
decades from now kids will come across Carlos Correa’s baseball-reference page and be like “so he played with the Astros and then he left in free agency and played for the Twins. got it. seems like a great career”
little will they know
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) January 10, 2023
I'll believe Carlos Correa has actually signed with a team when I see him holding up a jersey in a press conference next to a GM and not a moment before tbh https://t.co/ILi8E7yfSS
— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) January 10, 2023
Carlos Correa’s Twins physical pic.twitter.com/vtbyXVTApg
— Zak Musso (@zakmusso) January 10, 2023
I personally think this was Correa’s plan all along, but he just really likes getting physicals
— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) January 10, 2023
We’ll probably never see a free agency like that again.