Carlos Correa to the Twins Creates Seismic Shift in the AL Hierarchy

How about the Minnesota Twins jumping from the top rope to win the Carlos Correa free-agency sweepstakes?

Not the New York Yankees, normally big spenders who had a need at shortstop. Not the Houston Astros, who drafted Correa No. 1 overall 10 years ago before eventually winning one of three World Series appearances.

The Twins!

Suddenly, the AL Central isn't simply a breeze for the Chicago White Sox. The Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers and Twins are all making moves. The Cleveland Guardians haven't done much, but Minnesota signing Correa is significant enough to shift the AL hierarchy, if only for one season.

In addition to signing Correa, the Twins acquired right-hander Sonny Gray from the Cincinnati Reds and third baseman Gio Urshela and catcher Gary Sanchez from the Yankees.

With the new collective bargaining agreement adding a playoff team to each conference, Minnesota is ready to compete for a World Series immediately.

After all, Correa has opt-outs in the first two years of his three-year, $105.3 million deal. He will almost certainly hit the market again next offseason, provided he's healthy, so this could be a one-year rental for Minnesota.

Then there's Houston.

Losing a Franchise Icon

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The Astros will still probably win 90-plus games. They are littered with stars around the infield with third baseman Alex Bregman, 2017 AL MVP second baseman Jose Altuve and last year's AL batting champion Yuli Gurriel at first base.

Twenty-four-year-old prospect Jeremy Pena is the leading candidate to replace Correa at shortstop. Pena is not too caught up in filling his shoes and is seemingly focused on forging his own path.

It's good he has this perspective. Taking over at shortstop is one thing. Filling the leadership void left by Correa is an entirely different story.

Correa became the Astros' loudest, most outspoken voice during the initial fallout from their sign-stealing scandal, which tainted Houston's 2017 World Series title in the eyes of many.

Correa admitted to using stolen signs but was adamant Altuve did not and defended his teammate against criticism from Dodgers star Cody Bellinger, who claimed Houston's second baseman "stole" the 2017 AL MVP from Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

In Game 6 of the 2020 ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays, Correa delivered a pep talk for the ages to lefty Framber Valdez on the Astros' way to forcing a Game 7 after trailing the series 0-3.

Correa just turned in the best season of his career, leading all position players in WAR (7.2). He recorded nine RBI in the postseason to rank sixth all time in postseason RBI (59 total).

Now the Astros lose him, just a year after 2017 World Series MVP George Springer left for the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency.

Consider they've also lost Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke, who were key figures in the 2019 World Series run, and the Astros that we're used to seeing keep changing.

Players such as Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez will step into those larger roles once held by Springer and Correa.

Twins Put AL Central on Notice

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Minnesota's lineup this year will feature both the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks from the 2012 MLB draft in Correa and center fielder Byron Buxton, respectively. The Twins signed Buxton to a seven-year, $100 million extension Dec. 1.

Correa replaces Andrelton Simmons as a clear upgrade at shortstop. In 2021, the Twins were baseball's last-ranked team in wRC+ from the shortstop position, and Correa ranked sixth in wRC+ among shortstops last year.

In Sanchez, the Twins add a two-time All-Star who five years ago was the best-hitting catcher in the American League. He has since become a liability behind the plate and a shell of himself in the batter's box.

The change of scenery with a different well-run organization could serve him well if he's not cooked.

Minnesota will need more than Gray to solidify its pitching staff, but he is a start. The Twins went from back-to-back AL Central titles to last place in 2021, as the White Sox appeared to replace them as the class of the division.

That's much more of a question now than it was before early Saturday morning.

A Prove-It Year for the Ages

For Correa, seeing his friend Francisco Lindor get $341 million over 10 years and Corey Seager get $325 million over the same span has to be motivating.

The Astros made one unserious offer after another in the course of negotiations. Then the 99-day lockout, during which Correa switched to Scott Boras as his agent, also complicated matters.

Correa will earn the highest annual salary for an infielder this season at $35.1 million, but he doesn't get the long-time commitment anticipated at the start of free agency.

As exciting as this moment is for the Twins, it could be over after just one year if Correa stays healthy and plays up to his potential.

Astros teammates wanted Correa back for good reason. He's one of a handful of players who can change a team's trajectory.