Carlos Correa may be tiptoeing down a narrow, circuitous path that leads back to the Twins.
Recently, Jon Heyman reported that the Twins shortstop would opt out of his contract and become a free agent this fall.
Heyman, who works for the New York Post and MLB Network, is credible. Like all reporters invested in breaking national news, he is a conduit for information that sources want made public, but don't want their names attached to.
Heyman's information would seem to emanate from Correa's agent Scott Boras, or someone in Boras' circle, but the timing was illogical. Correa doesn't want to answer questions about his contract during a race.
Instead of taking the report at face value, consider the possibility that Correa could return to Twins for a second season.
When the Twins signed Correa to a three-year deal worth a potential $105 million, while giving him the ability to opt out after each of the first two seasons, everyone in baseball assumed that Correa would opt out after one year to pursue a long-term contract.
That's possible. It may even be likely. But it's not a foregone conclusion.
Correa's performance, the Twins' competitiveness and the way Correa has provided leadership and found comfort in the Twins' clubhouse all have created the possibility that he will return for a second season if he doesn't receive a massive offer from another team.
