Who Are the Favorites to Sign Carlos Correa?
Carlos Correa is one of the best free agents of this MLB off-season. Over the last several years, Correa has been one of the best shortstops in the MLB, and whichever team he chooses to sign with over the next several months will have a significantly better chance of having a successful season next year.
As a result, several teams will attempt to sign Correa this offseason. A few teams could be the most likely destinations for the shortstop.
Chicago Cubs
After the first few weeks of this offseason, the Chicago Cubs are the favorites to sign Carlos Correa. Chicago was 74-88 last season, but a 39-31 record in the second half has led many, including most of the Cubs’ front office, to believe Chicago could return to playoff contention next season.
The Cubs will almost certainly hold discussions with all of the free agent shorstops available, if they haven’t already held preliminary discussions with those players or their agents already. However, Correa could be Chicago’s top priority this offseason.
Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer, and the front office overall, reportedly prefer shorter-term contracts with higher average annual values this offseason. However, Correa could be one player the Cubs are willing to make a longer-term contract offer to.
Carlos Correa, who is 28 years old, considered a contract offer from the Cubs last offseason and the two sides likely already have familiarity with each other. Chicago also considered selecting Correa in the 2012 MLB Draft, but he was ultimately selected by the Houston Astros with the first overall pick.
Nico Hoerner established himself as an excellent shortstop last season, but Correa would allow Hoerner to play second base, a position where he plays arguably the best defense in the league. Correa would also improve a Cubs offense that saw Hoerner, Ian Happ, and Seiya Suzuki have tremendous seasons last year that have built confidence for next season, and which could be further improved by top prospects Matt Mervis, who won the Fall Stars Game MVP during the Arizona Fall League season, and Brennen Davis.
The Cubs are expected to be one of the teams that tries to improve the most during this offseason. Carlos Correa could help this team compete to reach the postseason, or even win the National League Central, next year.
Minnesota Twins
Carlos Correa spent last season with the Twins before opting out of his contract, and he could still choose to resign with the team this offseason. Last year, he played 134 games for the Twins, finishing the season with a 140 OPS+ while hitting 22 home runs.
Minnesota has an opportunity to win the AL Central next season. The Twins were in a position to win the division title for most of the season before the Guardians had an excellent second half to eventually finish in first place.
Resigning Correa would boost the Twins’ chances of competing to win the AL Central next season. Minnesota’s lineup remains excellent, and Correa returning to the team would allow Minnesota to continue to improve its roster during this offseason.
If Carlos Correa chose to sign with the Twins, it would likely be one of, if not the most, significant contract in the team’s history. However, it could lead Minnesota to have incredible success next season.
San Francisco Giants
Similarly to the Cubs, San Francisco is expected to compete to sign several significant free agents this offseason. The Giants finished third in the NL West last season but won the division in 2021.
Signing Carlos Correa could help San Francisco compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres for first place in the NL West next season. He would help improve the team’s offense, and the Giants have had significant success with their pitching staff in recent seasons.
Trea Turner could potentially choose to depart the Dodgers this offseason, and San Diego may choose to make trades to avoid exceeding the luxury tax limit next season. As a result, the Giants are positioned to improve significantly this offseason as some of the other teams in their division may choose to make changes to their roster.
Correa would certainly give the Giants a better opportunity of winning the NL West or competing to reach the playoffs as one of the NL Wild Card teams. If he chose to sign with the Giants, it would have a significant impact on the division next season.
These are just a few of the teams that could sign Carlos Correa, but as of right now, they are the favorites to be the next team he plays for. Correa’s free agency process will be one of the most important offseason storylines, and his decision could dramatically affect the MLB postseason next year.
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