Chicago Cubs will hate Carlos Correa's contract with the Minnesota Twins

For the third time this offseason, free-agent shortstop and rumored Chicago Cubs' target Carlos Correa has a new deal. After previous deals with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets were erased due to each team's medical staff having an issue with an ankle injury Correa suffered in 2014, the Minnesota Twins have now become the third team this offseason in which the shortstop has agreed to terms with on a new contract.

Source confirms: Carlos Correa in agreement with Twins on six-year, $200M contract. Deal can max out at $270M with vesting options for four additional years. Pending physical. First: @JeffPassan, @JonHeyman.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 10, 2023

Correa initially agreed to a 13-year deal with the Giants worth $350MM before then agreeing to a 12-year deal worth $315MM with the Mets. In each case, there were concerns over how Correa's surgically repaired ankle would age over the course of 10+ seasons. Correa's new deal with the Twins lessens the risk for the team while also providing the shortstop with an inflated AAV.

Ironically, for the Cubs, the contract that Correa signed with the Twins this offseason is the exact type of deal that the team was looking to make this offseason. Entering the offseason, the Cubs were believed to be emphasizing short-term contracts that featured an inflated AAV. The free agent market quickly moved away from the Cubs' strategy but had the team not already signed shortstop Dansby Swanson to a seven-year deal worth $177MM, there is no question that the team would have floated a similar offer to Correa. Even with Swanson in the fold, there is no question that the Cubs should have circled back to Correa once his original deals with the Mets and Giants fell through. Correa's contract with the Twins is the definition of intelligent spending and there is no question that this is a miss for team president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.

The lone benefit for the Cubs in regard to Correa returning to Twins is the fact that he will not be a part of the National League. While the New York Mets are still a signficant gap ahead of the Cubs, Correa not being a part of their picture for the long-term does work well for when Chicago is ready to truly contend.

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