In Carlos Correa deal, Twins went where Giants and Mets wouldn't

Carlos Correa got the 3-2 fastball he was looking for, and pulled a hot smash down the left field line. He turned on all the speed his 20-year-old legs could manage, and beat the throw to third base, sliding in safely for a triple.

Neither Correa nor anyone else would know it for another 8½ years, but that run-scoring hit into the corner would cost him a staggering $80 million — or more.

That's the difference between the $350 million contract that the star shortstop agreed to early last month with the Giants, and the complicated new deal that Correa, now 28, settled for with the Twins on Tuesday, one that guarantees him "only" $200 million — still the largest contract in Twins history — and maxes out, if he stays healthy, at $270 million.

All because, as he slid into third base on June 21, 2014, driving home the game's first run for the Class A Lancaster JetHawks, Correa fractured his right tibia and ankle, an injury so severe, a plate would be surgically implanted to help support the damaged bone.

The injury didn't keep Correa, the only player chosen ahead of Byron Buxton in the 2012 draft, from becoming American League Rookie of the Year one season later, from winning a World Series with the Astros, and from making two All-Star teams and sparking a bidding war when he opted out of his Twins contract in October.

But it kept two "winning" bidders, first the Giants and then the Mets three weeks ago, from following through on their far-richer offers, allowing the Twins to swoop in when those teams hesitated to close the deal. The Twins, hopelessly outbid twice for the most sought-after free agent in team history, turned patience, luck, and an out-of-character assumption of risk into their most expensive commitment — and most shocking acquisition, aside from Correa's sudden signing last March — ever.

Pending another physical exam, of course.

That's not expected to be a problem for the Twins, who examined Correa before signing him to a $35.1 million salary in March and have reportedly already signed off on his ankle issues now. Correa, though he was sidelined by back pain during two seasons while with Houston, has never spent time on the injured list due to the 2014 fracture during his seven years in the majors.

"And we back!!!" Buxton celebrated on Twitter after news reports confirmed that the pair of Platinum Glove fielders would continue to anchor the Twins' up-the-middle defense. Buxton has battled his own injury history that has likewise cost him millions in potential salary from the Twins. But when they're healthy, they are also the core of the Twins offense.

Correa's contract will pay him $36 million in each of the next three seasons (2023-25), then $31.5 million in 2026, plus $30.5 million and $30 million in the final two seasons, according to a breakdown obtained by USA Today. That's $200 million guaranteed for six seasons, an average of $33.3 million each that lands him comfortably among the 10 highest MLB salaries, and more than $10 million higher than Joe Mauer's franchise-record $23 million annual salary.

Those six are the only guaranteed ones, and considering Correa will turn 34 just a week before the 2028 season ends, the Twins have reason to believe they are getting his prime seasons. But the contract also extends for another four years, through 2032, if he reaches certain playing-time benchmarks, or if the Twins simply exercise a team option each fall.

Those salaries amount to another $45 million — $25 million in 2029, followed by $20 million, $15 million and $10 million over the final three — and are triggered if Correa reaches plate-appearance goals in the previous season. The benchmarks are 575 plate appearances to trigger the 2029 guarantee, then 550, 525 and 502 in the following seasons.

If Correa bats fewer times than stipulated, the following season's contract becomes a team option, so the Twins can sever ties if Correa misses significant time.

The contract contains a no-trade clause, but no provisions for Correa to opt out, as he did in October after completing just one of the three seasons called for in his original Twins deal, signed on the eve of spring training.

The front-loaded structure of the contract, even though it's less than the $285 million, 10-year offer the Twins made in November, reportedly was crucial.

The Mets reduced their guarantee by half, to only six guaranteed seasons worth $157.5 million, with the remaining six years dependent upon an annual exam by a team doctor to certify that the shortstop is healthy, USA Today reported. The Twins thus outbid the Mets over the first six years, making their contract more appealing, even as the total package is potentially worth $45 million less than the Mets'.

In return, the Twins will shore up one of the most critical positions on the diamond for the next six seasons, and retain the most productive hitter in their lineup. Correa, who has appeared in the postseason in six different seasons and won a World Series with Houston in 2017, played 136 games for Minnesota last season. He belted 22 home runs, second-most ever by a Twins shortstop, posted a team-high .836 OPS and became one of the leaders of the Twins' young clubhouse.

Correa's return gives the Twins flexibility for the future, too, since he had already agreed to move to third base with the Mets. Two of the Twins' top prospects, Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee, are also shortstops.