Are Twins being used as 'mystery team' for leverage in Carlos Correa contract saga?

The phone call came as a surprise, but the answer didn't take long. When agent Scott Boras inquired last March about whether the Twins would be interested in signing platinum-glove shortstop Carlos Correa for one year, the record-setting contract was agreed to within a few hours.

Has baseball's most powerful agent made a similar call to Derek Falvey and the Twins front office this year? Perhaps asking whether the Twins would still be interested in signing Correa for 10 years?

There's no indication he has, though two media members with longtime relationships with Boras tweeted Friday that another team has entered negotiations with the top remaining free agent, whose previous agreements with the Giants and Mets have apparently fallen apart over physical exams that gave Correa's suitors doubts about his risk of injury.

"Twins are still a factor in the Carlos Correa sweepstakes, according to sources," former Reds and Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden posted on Twitter, while New York Post columnist Jon Heyman tweeted that an unnamed second team has been in contact with Correa's agent.

But if history is indeed repeating itself, Boras' 2022 call to the Twins might not be the correct comparison. A better similarity may be the rumors that spread in February 2019, when Boras' negotiations with the Phillies on Bryce Harper's behalf stalled over the length of his contract.

The Dodgers and Giants, anonymously sourced reports stated, were interested in making late offers to Harper, who signed with the Phillies three days later.

Or in 2010, when face-to-face talks with the Cardinals about Matt Holliday seemed to stall, and rumors spread that the Red Sox might revisit an earlier offer. Or in 2015, when Max Scherzer's negotiations with the Nationals dragged on and reports of a "mystery team" in talks with the pitcher caused several MLB teams to deny any interest.

Leverage in contract talks is a fluid concept, in other words, and the Twins, with a handful of other Boras clients on their roster, are remaining silent about any potential new push to retain Correa on a long-term basis.

The Twins were vocal all season about their admiration for Correa and their interest in keeping him in Minnesota, but they were outbid by teams with higher payrolls. But more than three weeks have passed since the shortstop agreed to $350 million from the Giants, and two weeks since he settled on $315 million from the Mets, and no contract has been signed.

The hangup is apparently the condition of Correa's right leg and ankle, which were surgically repaired in 2014 after a severe baserunning injury while he was in the minor leagues. Correa has not spent time on an injured list with leg problems while in the majors, though he openly admits that he rarely attempts to steal bases — only eight attempts in the past six seasons — to avoid injury.

The Twins claimed righthander Oliver Ortega from waivers on Friday, adding a hard-throwing righthanded reliever to their 2023 bullpen.

Ortega, a 26-year-old Dominican, posted a 3.71 ERA in 27 games for the Angels last season, striking out 33 hitters in 34 innings. But he also walked 18 batters, a problem that has slowed his advancement despite a mid-90s fastball and effective curve.

To make roster space for Ortega, the Twins designated righthander Blayne Enlow for assignment. Enlow, a third-round pick in 2017 whom the Twins paid $2 million to keep from enrolling at LSU, reached Class AA for the first time this season, but experienced similar control problems as Ortega.

The 23-year-old starter struck out 64 hitters for Wichita in 57 1/3 innings, but also walked 30.

Pitchers and catchers will report to Twins' camp on Feb. 15, the team announced, with the full roster expected in camp by Feb. 19. The first full-team workout will be Feb. 20 in Hammond Stadium and the surrounding Lee County Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Fla., the Twins' spring home since 1991.

The first Grapefruit League game, a split-squad contest against the Rays, is Feb. 25.