Falvey Downplays Speculation Regarding Carlos Correa Trade
11/15/2024 06:00 PM
With the Twins up for a potential sale and the front office facing payroll restrictions for a second straight offseason, there’s been a natural focus on the ways in which the club could look to reduce spending. Trades of Chris Paddack and Christian Vazquez have long been seen as a possibility, but more recently there’s been at least some national speculation about a more dramatic move. Joel Sherman of the New York Post recently opined that the Yankees or Mets should “test the waters” on the Twins’ willingness to move shortstop Carlos Correa, who has four years and $128MM in guaranteed money remaining on his contract (plus another four vesting/club options). Sherman opined last month that the Astros should explore a similar scenario.
Though there’s been no reporting to suggest that the Twins would actually consider such a move, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey apparently still sought to shut down any such speculation. Asking Correa (or any player) to waive a no-trade clause is “not something we’re focused on,” Falvey told Dan Hayes of The Athletic. The recently promoted top Twins exec also called Correa, Pablo Lopez and Byron Buxton “key” members of the roster. “I feel really confident those guys are going to be part of the ability for us to do what we want on the field,” Falvey added.
While Falvey, newly minted general manager Jeremy Zoll and the rest of the front office are clearly working on a tighter budget than they anticipated when signing Correa and extending Buxton (seven years, $100MM) and Lopez (four years, $73.5MM), that doesn’t mean the team is planning to step back or enter any sort of rebuild. Minnesota spent the majority of the season in possession of a playoff spot before an epic September collapse. Injuries to Paddack and Joe Ryan compromised the team’s starting depth, and the lineup went cold in conjunction. It was a disaster outcome, but not one the club feels is indicative of a need to tear things down.
Correa, 30, missed nearly half the 2024 season due to a bout of plantar fasciitis but played at a borderline MVP-caliber level when healthy. His .310/.388/.517 slash was 59% better than league average, by measure of wRC+, and Statcast felt his defense rebounded from a down 2023 showing in a major way. (Defensive Runs Saved was more bearish.) Correa’s 16.6% strikeout rate was a career-low, and he hit 14 homers in 367 plate appearances — just four fewer than he hit in 580 plate appearances during the 2023 season. His two-month absence from July 12 through Sept. 14 played a significant role in the Twins’ late-season deterioration.
Buxton, 31 next month, was limited by injuries once again — as has been the case in nearly every season of his career. Like Correa, he has a full no-trade clause. Also like Correa, he had one of the most productive seasons of his career when on the field in 2024. The former No. 2 overall pick slashed .279/.335/.524 — 42% better than average, per wRC+ — with 18 homers, seven steals and strong defense in 103 games/388 plate appearances. Buxton’s contract pays him $15MM annually through 2028, with a huge slate of incentives tied to playing time and MVP voting. He can earn up to $25.5MM in any given season, but if he ever actually reaches that figure, it’d be because he performed like one of the best players in the entire sport, at which point it’d be a bargain anyhow.
Lopez, 29 in March, is owed $21.75MM in each of the next three seasons. He doesn’t have trade protection in his contract but was listed by Falvey as one of the “key” players he’s not inclined to move even amid payroll constriction. Lopez got out to a rough start in 2024, pitching to an ERA near 5.00 through the season’s first three months before rebounding to more characteristic form down the stretch. Beginning with a dominant 14-strikeout performance in late June, Lopez logged a 2.91 ERA with a 25.7% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate in 105 1/3 innings across his final 17 starts.
