NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 07: Carlos Correa #4 of the Minnesota Twins looks on against the New York Yankees on September 2, 2022 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
It’s tough to blame the Minnesota Twins for losing out on Carlos Correa. But looking forward, what should they do to make up for the loss in talent?
The Twins offered Carlos Correa a 10-year contract worth over $280 million, per recent reports. It’s tough to blame Minnesota for not matching Correa’s eventual contract with the San Francisco Giants, which amounted to a 13-year, $350 million commitment.
Correa bet on himself last offseason when he signed a short-term, high-AAV deal with Minnesota. The contract had an opt-out after this season for this very reason. Upon re-entering another shortstop-heavy free agent market, Correa and Scott Boras were able to get the deal done this time around.
As for the Twins, they need to be ready for what comes next.
Twins moves to make: Sign Dansby Swanson
Free agency moves very quickly, and Dansby Swanson won’t be around for much longer. Swanson is the only shortstop remaining of the original big four of himself, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Correa.
While most (including Dansby) assumed he would re-sign with the Atlanta Braves, Alex Anthopoulos has been awfully quiet, which is either a sign of things to come or a negotiating tactic. The Braves traded for Sean Murphy a few days ago, but that shouldn’t impact their ability to bring back Swanson on an affordable deal.
The most the Braves offered Swanson was in the low $100 million range. Given his productive All-Star season, and the market at large, Swanson’s final asking price should be somewhere closer to $200 million. The Twins can match that since they have money to spend after losing out on Correa.
Swanson would be an ideal replacement for Correa, and a more affordable one at that. He’s the kind of player who can aid a championship-level team. Minnesota isn’t that far off and they’re in a competitive division. Make it happen.