A person familiar with negotiations said that Carlos Correa, the star shortstop, agreed to a $105.3million, three-year contract with Minnesota Twins on Saturday.
Because the agreement was subjected to a successful physical, the person spoke under anonymity.
Correa’s seven-season stint with the Houston Astros is over. Correa will be paid $35.1 million per year under the agreement and can opt out of the 2022 or 2023 seasons to become an unrestricted agent.
It was surprising that Correa picked the Twins, considering they had lost 18 consecutive games in postseason play and were last in the AL Central last year at 73-89.
His average salary is now the fourth highest in baseball, behind New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer (@43.3 million), Yankees pitcher Gerrit Colley ($36 million), and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (35.5 million).
Correa, a two-time All-Star and the first pick of the 2012 amateur draft was responsible for the Astros’ turnaround. Houston lost over 100 games between 2011-13 and then won the World Series by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers seven times in 2017.
The Astros lost the World Series in 2019, and were awarded AL pennants. They also lost the World Series in 2019.
Correa hit 26 home runs last season, a record for him. He also had a.279 average and 92 RBIs. He was fifth in AL MVP voting, and he won his first Gold Glove. He has a career average of.277 with 133 homers, 489 RBIs and seven major league seasons.
Correa was the AL Rookie of the year in 2015. He also had 18 homers, 59 RBIs, and played in 79 games.
Correa and his family will experience a major change when they move to the Twins. His wife, Daniella Rodriguez (ex-Miss Texas USA 2016), was his former wife.
Since 1991, Minnesota has never been to the World Series. It has also lost eight of its postseason series after beating Oakland in the 2002 AL Division Series.
Correa’s success as a Minnesota visiting player has been impressive. Correa has a.413 average at the plate (26 for 63), with five homers, and 20 RBIs in fifteen games. His 1.205 OPS score is the highest in any ballpark where he has played at least four games.
The Twins have acquired Sonny Gray, a right-hander from Cincinnati, and Gary Sanchez, catcher for the New York Yankees. Third baseman Gio Urshela was also acquired by the Twins.
Minnesota signed Dylan Bundy, a pitcher, to a one-year contract worth $5 million before the work stoppage.
Correa’s deal with Philadelphia was combined with Nick Castellanos $100 million five-year agreement late Friday night. It was the 14th such deal since the World Series.
Scott Boras, an agent, negotiated six of them for a total value of $1.0173 trillion. He also negotiated agreements for Correa, Castellanos and Marcus Semien, who each paid $175 million. Kris Bryant, with Colorado, was $225 million, and Scherzer, with the New York Mets, was $113 million.