Correa’s arrival gives Twins whole new look and feel

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Within the mere three weeks because the finish of the lockout, no main league staff has altered its outlook greater than the Minnesota Twins.

Final month, the Twins have been a last-place membership with skinny beginning pitching coming off a 73-89 end.

Now, even when their shortcomings persist into the summer time, they’ve Carlos Correa to play shortstop and hit within the coronary heart of the order.

Any bettor who predicted that one this winter would have loved fairly the windfall of money when the 2021 All-Star and Gold Glove award winner picked the Twins for a $35.1 million annual wage that’s the highest in historical past for an infielder.

“It tells you all must learn about what they’re considering upstairs. They wish to win proper now, and I feel that’s positively our greatest likelihood to try this,” Twins reliever Tyler Duffey stated. “Herald a man like him who’s been there and carried out it and has a ton of expertise and numerous years left on his profession, it’s going to be in a single day a giant, huge shift for us.”

By no means earlier than have the Twins landed one of many greatest prizes on the free agent market like Correa, however the important thing to a middle-of-the-pack payroll staff getting a deal carried out with an elite participant at a premium place was to make it a brief one.

The three-year contract contains an opt-out for Correa after every of the primary two seasons, which means that he can enter one other bidding battle subsequent winter and doubtlessly worth himself out of Minnesota.

The 27-year-old didn’t choose the Twins only for their willingness to let him stroll, although. Correa raved concerning the connection he felt with the staff. He has a staggering .783 slugging share in 17 profession video games at Goal Subject, his highest at any present main league ballpark. He even has a beforehand acquired style for a Twin Cities culinary favourite: the cheese-infused hamburgers often known as juicy lucys.

“We’re not seeing this like a one-year factor,” Correa stated at his introductory information convention. “We’re seeing this as, ‘I wish to construct a championship tradition on this group. I wish to present you guys what I can carry to the desk so we will have a long-term relationship sooner or later.’ I’m very excited to indicate them what I can do and for this staff to start out constructing that championship degree and championship mentality for years to return.”

The Twins are all ears.

“How will we make this appear to be a long-term partnership?“ president of baseball operations Derek Falvey stated. “We acknowledge that takes work and time, and we’re going to speculate and get to know one another over that point. The contract construction is inventive and distinctive, and we’ll handle that on the proper time.”

FOR STARTERS

Correa will make his Twins debut on April 7, after they open the season at residence towards Seattle. There are 4 video games towards the Mariners and a two-game collection towards the Los Angeles Dodgers on the docket for Minnesota’s first homestand.

ON TARGET

Correa stated he appreciates the batter’s eye at Goal Subject essentially the most, the living wall of junipers that stretches from the berm past middle discipline to the limestone façade of the higher deck. He has six residence runs there, together with one within the 2020 AL wild card collection.

“You’ll be able to see the ball actual effectively,” Correa stated. “The stats communicate for themselves in that ballpark, however I really feel actually comfy within the field.”

NEW LOOK: ROTATION

Twins beginning pitchers had a 5.18 ERA final season, the third-worst within the AL. The rotation to open 2022 can be fully totally different than a yr in the past, with newcomer Sonny Gray now fronting the group. Grey was acquired from Cincinnati in certainly one of three trades the Twins struck within the first three days after the lockout was lifted.

Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer have been signed as free brokers almost 4 months aside to fill within the gaps. Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober are the holdovers after promising debuts in 2021. Kenta Maeda (elbow) and Randy Dobnak (finger) are out with long-term accidents.

NEW LOOK: LINEUP

Catcher Gary Sánchez and infielder Gio Urshela have been fetched from the Yankees within the salary-dumping deal that despatched third baseman Josh Donaldson to New York and paved the best way for the Twins to signal Correa. Urshela and Luis Arraez are prone to share the majority of the time at third base.

Since buying and selling away Nelson Cruz final summer time, the Twins successfully did away with a full-time designated hitter. Sánchez, whose protection behind the plate is effectively behind incumbent Ryan Jeffers, will most likely get loads of DH at-bats together with first baseman Miguel Sanó and Arraez.

ROOKIES TO WATCH

With Ryan and Ober nonetheless having lots to show, the Twins have been hesitant to hurry any of their different prospects into the rotation for now. Jordan Balazovic, Matt Canterino and Josh Winder are within the up-next group, maybe later this season.

Shortstop Royce Lewis and third baseman Jose Miranda are the potential stars-in-waiting on the place participant facet. Lewis missed all of 2021 with a torn ACL after the COVID-19 pandemic worn out the 2020 minor league season, so the Twins will proceed to carry the primary total choose within the 2017 draft alongside fastidiously.

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