The Twins haven’t even started the 2022 season but there is already pessimism All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa will play only one season for the franchise. Club president Dave St. Peter is perplexed about that view.
The Twins stunned their fan base and the baseball world by signing the 27-year-old former Astros leader to a three-year contract last month for $105.3 million. The agreement provides Correa with the flexibility to opt out of the deal as soon as the end of this season.
Coveted players can demand such contracts in today’s market and St. Peter told Sports Headliners the Twins knew going into negotiations Correa would want “ultimate flexibility” with his free agent deal. But St. Peter insists things can work out in his team’s favor.
“…I know we’re approaching it as if it’s a long-term deal,” he said. “Carlos is approaching it the same way. And at the end of the day, if it turns out to be a one-year deal, we were better off having Carlos Correa for one year. We know that.
“I don’t really understand that narrative (that) it’s only a one-year. We don’t see it that way. We fully expect Carlos is going to love his time in Minnesota. Love his time getting immersed into this community, and we expect we’ll be in the hunt to hopefully have him back in 2023 and beyond.”
What factors can influence a Correa return in 2023? “I think it’s about winning,” St. Peter said. “It’s about the environment that is conducive to winning.
“I think he’s comfortable with this manager (Rocco Baldelli). I think he wants to feel comfortable in the community. And I know he loves (hitting in) our ballpark. So there’s a lot of things that are working in our favor on that front.”
Correa won a World Series with the Astros and he is accustomed to competing in postseason games where he has excelled. In 79 playoff games he has a batting average of .272 with 16 doubles, 18 home runs, 59 RBI, 30 walks, 37 runs scored, a .344 on-base percentage and a .849 OPS. He is No. 6 all-time in postseason RBI and tied for seventh in home runs with Nelson Cruz and Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson and Mickey Mantle.
The Twins were 73-89 last season, with the worst record in their division, and a surprise finish for a team that had won the American League Central the two previous years. St. Peter foresees a better future coming. “We know what we’re building here. …Carlos knows what we’re building here and he likes what he sees. If he didn’t think we had a chance to win, he wouldn’t be here. I can assure you that.”
Predictions on the Twins’ record for 2022 are varied. The club potentially has one of baseball’s best offenses and better defenses, but starting pitching looks like a liability. In the club’s favor in earning a playoff spot is that the AL Central, despite the talent of the front runner White Sox, is regarded as MLB’s weakest division.
Correa could have moments when he carries the Twins. Expectations are that high for him after he hit .279 with 26 home runs and 92 RBI last season. He was No. 2 among MLB position players with a 7.2 WAR, per Baseball Reference (behind Marcus Semien’s 7.3). Among shortstops, Correa was first in walks, second in RBI, third in extra-base hits and fourth in home runs.
He also won the 2021 Rawlings American League Gold Glove at shortstop and the 2021 AL Platinum Glove Award, awarded to the best overall fielder in each league.
St. Peter is impressed with Correa’s character, too. The Puerto Rico native cares about his teammates and wants to help them, including young players he can influence. That’s what St. Peter believes and the fact Correa speaks English and Spanish is a bonus for the Twins.
With Correa’s track record of success, along with his confidence, curiosity and interest in others, St. Peter sees a bilingual leader who can impact “everybody” with the club. “When you have someone like that, it can be very powerful in a baseball clubhouse,” St. Peter said.
The Correa influence extends to the box office, too. In a short period after his acquisition, the club sold “north of 100,000” tickets, per St. Peter. “We certainly have seen an uptick in ticket sales which is great. We needed it. We have a lot of tickets to sell. There’s good availability for all 81 games and we’ve got work to do on the ticket sales front.
“We got a late start due to the (MLB) lockout and that’s no fault of anybody’s but our own as an industry, and I suspect it will take some time for our ticket sales to normalize. But I am confident that they will.”
As of this morning, tickets starting at $15 were still available for the home and season opener that has been rescheduled from Thursday to Friday.
National Baseball Hall of Fame selectees and former Twins Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva will throw out the ceremonial first pitches at Friday’s game against the Mariners. Twins legends Tom Kelly and Kent Hrbek will catch the pitches.