Twins think addition a good sign
“It shows commitment from the front office not to be content with where we are.”
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Sonny Gray had just woken up and was scrolling through his phone Saturday morning when a notification popped up that caught his eye.
“Twins sign (Carlos) Correa,” it read. And Gray, who became a Twin less than a week ago, had to take a moment to fully digest what that news meant.
“I was like, Oh, that’s us,” he said. “Didn’t really think anything else of it at the time. I just kind of was like, OK. And I saw it and I was like going through it, going through it and I was like, OK, wow. I like it. I like it.”
He’s certainly not alone.
The Twins agreed to a threeyear, $105.3 million deal with the superstar shortstop in the early hours of Saturday morning. Correa’s deal, which has not yet been made official, includes opt outs after each of the first two seasons.
That’s the news Twins players woke up to on Saturday. Miguel Sanó heard it over the phone from his father; Byron Buxton heard it from his wife while he was in the shower; Ryan Jeffers saw it on social media. By the time players congregated in the clubhouse shortly after, there was a palpable buzz rippling through the room.
“It shows commitment from the front office not to be content with where we are,” Gray said. “We want to continue to get better and it feels like that’s the front office showing us as a locker room, showing us players, ‘Hey, we’re going to continue to try to improve this team.’ ”
It was less than a week ago when the Twins dealt third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Yankees, clearing the $50 million he was owed over the next two years off the books. Newly acquired shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa — he joined the Twins a day earlier as part of a trade with the Rangers — was included in that deal, leaving the Twins plenty of cash to spend and a hole at shortstop.
Trevor Story and Correa remained on the market, the last two members of the greatest shortstop class of all time still unsigned. The Twins were immediately linked to Story, and inside the clubhouse that’s who some figured would walk through the doors of Hammond Stadium.
“I knew we had to sign a shortstop and we freed up $50 million, so I was like, OK, we’re going to make a splash somewhere,” Jeffers said. “I was assuming Story. I was ready to sell the number (27 to him). Got a whole group of lawyers together with an offer sheet and everything.”
But it won’t be Story walking through those doors, and this shortstop, unlike the last, won’t be shipped out of town 36 hours later.
“You wake up and go to the field and he’s the guy making the highlight play or hitting a big homer,” reliever Tyler Duffey said. “He wants to be in the moment. He wants to win. He wants to go out and compete, and that’s who you want playing shortstop for you.”
And while players in the clubhouse seemingly couldn’t be more excited about the surprising turn of events that led Correa to Minnesota, they appreciate the faith the front office has shown in them and believe there’s more to come.
The Twins also agreed to a oneyear deal with reliever Joe Smith on Saturday and are in the market for starting pitching, linked to A’s starters Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea in recent days.
What the front office does next? Count the players among those who can’t wait to see.
“With all the stuff being communicated about teams not trying to win, that kind of being a big topic of the offseason, it’s really great to be part of a team that is clearly trying to win,” Jeffers said. “I think there’s more moves coming. I don’t think we’re done.”