FORT MYERS, Fla. – Carlos Correa chose Minnesota late Friday night to serve as the staging area for the second half of his All-Star, Gold Glove, borderline MVP-level career, accepting a contract that makes him the highest-salaried player in Twins history.
Technically, Correa's contract lasts three years and pays him $35.1 million in each, or more than half again as much as Joe Mauer's $23 million annual salary, the Twins' previous highest ever. But the Twins also gave him the right to tear up the contract next October, or 12 months later, and become a free agent once again — an option he almost certainly will exercise to pursue the $300 million-plus deal he was seeking this offseason.
Whether Correa stays for seven months or for a decade, however, the Twins and their fans will always be able to savor the electrifying late-night thrill of baseball's most highly prized free agent, coming off the most individually successful season of his career, picking Minnesota. Not to mention the pinch-me-I'm-dreaming prospect of putting him into the middle of their lineup.
