Carlos Correa Rumors: Twins Will 'Go Hard' to Re-Sign Star; 8 Teams Pursuing SS

The Minnesota Twins are reportedly planning to "go hard" in their efforts to re-sign shortstop Carlos Correa despite plenty of competition on the free-agent market.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Thursday there are at least eight MLB teams that have shown interest in Correa, who's entered free agency for the second straight year.

The 28-year-old Puerto Rico native signed a three-year contract with the Twins in March, but it included an opt-out clause after the first season, which he exercised in early November.

Correa enjoyed a solid campaign with the Twins. He compiled a .291/.366/.467 slash line with 22 home runs across 136 appearances. His 4.4 WAR ranked ninth among shortstops, per FanGraphs.

The shortstop spent the first seven years of his MLB career with the Houston Astros, highlighted by winning a World Series title in 2017. His individual accolades included the AL Rookie of the Year Award and a pair of All-Star selections (2017 and 2021).

His latest foray into free agency is slightly complicated by the fact there are four standout shortstops available, the others being Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson.

In turn, the signings may be a little sluggish until one of them joins a team to help set the contract market for the others. The fact eight clubs have already checked in with Correa shows the demand is high, which is a good sign for the entire quartet.

The Twins' firm interest likely stems from the need to have lineup protection for Byron Buxton. A top three in the order of Luis Arraez, Buxton and Correa is strong, and it doesn't have the same potential if Max Kepler or Jorge Polanco slides into the No. 3 spot.

Correa spoke about a potential return to Minnesota in late September, saying it was up to the Twins to make the best offer:

So it sounds like the standout infielder is taking a business-first approach to free agency. That puts the pressure on the team's front office to decide whether it's willing to outbid all of the other clubs with interest.

If not, the Twins will have a significant lineup void to fill before the 2023 season gets underway.