Carlos Correa opts out of Twins contract, becomes free agent
MINNEAPOLIS -- Shortstop Carlos Correa has officially opted out of his contract with the Minnesota Twins, the players' union announced Monday.
Correa signed a three-year, $105 million deal with the Twins last offseason, but had an option to opt out after each season. Correa has taken that option and will be a free agent, according to the MLB Players Association.
The 28-year-old star batted .291 this season with 22 home runs in 136 games. His wins above replacement stat, or WAR, was 5.4, the fourth highest of his career. WAR tracks how many wins a player added to a team over what a replacement player would have. Correa's WAR was higher than any other Twins player this year.
It's possible the Twins re-sign Correa, though he'll command more than the $35 million a year the previous deal would have paid him. When the Twins signed Correa in March, the shortstop said "we're not seeing this like a one-year thing, we're seeing this as, I want to build a championship culture in this organization."
MLB free agency begins Thursday. CBS Sports has Correa ranked as the third-best player available.
