And so the Twins' shortstop on Opening Day next March 31 in Kansas City will be the same one it has been for the past couple of decades: TBD.
This is a franchise, after all, that has used 14 different starting shortstops over the past 19 Opening Days, more than any other team, and only twice in that time the same one in two consecutive seasons.
That's the state of affairs, and not an unexpected one, the Twins find themselves in after Carlos Correa auctioned off the remainder of his so-far-stellar major-league career — 13 more years if the Giants want him that long, but the paycheck is guaranteed either way — for $350 million, the second-richest commitment in MLB history.
The Twins, according to MLB Network, were willing to lavish $285 million on Correa, $101 million more than Joe Mauer's franchise-record contract, but still were outbid by $65 million.
It's disappointing, certainly, for a team that, after lucking into a star player who needed a short-term landing spot last spring, watched him post the second-highest OPS of any shortstop in Twins history. His team-leading .834 ranked behind only Jorge Polanco's .841 in 2019, when he started the All-Star Game at the position.
But if there's a salve to the pain of losing Correa, it's this: It was the Twins' plan from the start. Or at least, their expectation.
The team had no illusions, particularly as they paid Correa the highest salary for an infielder ever, $35.1 million, that agent Scott Boras would offer any discounts to Minnesota if they pursued Correa beyond 2022. And the bidding, they understood, figured to reach a stratosphere the Twins are unfamiliar with.
"Listen, Carlos 'works' for 30 clubs," Derek Falvey, president of baseball operations, said on the day Correa signed his Twins contract. "Some teams have really good shortstops, that's no disrespect to anyone. But Carlos fits on every team in baseball."
Correa, the team figured, would be a dynamic but temporary bridge to the future, a one-year gap-filler before the start of what was supposed to be a new era at the Twins' most unstable position. The plan was never acknowledged publicly, but became obvious when Correa missed two weeks in May after being hit on his hand by a pitch: Let Correa tutor Royce Lewis, both of whom are former overall No. 1 draft picks now represented by Boras, and hand him the full-time job when Correa inevitably moved on.
That strategy blew up when Lewis landed awkwardly while making a catch during his first and only big-league appearance in center field on May 29, rupturing the right knee ligament that had been surgically repaired only 15 months earlier. Lewis won't return to action until midseason at the earliest, and his ability to play such a demanding position on a twice-rebuilt knee is a question mark.
Which leaves the jilted Twins scrambling yet again for an answer, and few obvious solutions at hand. Utility player Kyle Farmer, at 32 the oldest position player on the Twins' current roster, was acquired from Cincinnati a month ago and is the current projected starter. Nick Gordon was a shortstop in the minor leagues, but has started only 15 games there in the majors and isn't considered an option for the permanent job. Tellingly, he's listed as an outfielder on the Twins' winter roster.
So what now?
The Twins could pursue, as much of the fan base hopes, Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, a free agent and yet another former overall No. 1 pick (2015) who is 28 and coming off his most productive season. The Twins have met with Swanson and his agent, but probably haven't made an offer yet, given that Correa's departure didn't become clear until Tuesday.
Swanson, however, isn't nearly as disciplined a hitter as Correa is, and the Twins hope Lewis will be, and given the salary inflation evident this offseason, he could command a $150 million to $180 million contract. The Georgia native is also believed to prefer remaining with the Braves, who have won five straight NL East titles and the 2021 World Series.
More likely: The Twins figure to seek another stopgap, perhaps one to pair with Farmer, who owns a career .837 OPS against lefthanders, in a platoon role, while waiting for Lewis or another highly prized prospect, Class AA shortstop Brooks Lee, to prove himself ready for the job. That may sound unappetizing for a team that just lost its MVP, but reasonable candidates could be available in trade.
Phillies rookie Bryson Stott, for instance, lost his job when Trea Turner signed an 11-year contract with Philadelphia earlier this month. A lefthanded hitter whose production steadily improved throughout his first season (well, except for his 0-for-14 World Series performance), Stott could be a match.
Similarly, Ha-Seong Kim of the Padres and Brandon Crawford of the Giants have been displaced by free-agent acquisitions, though neither seems likely to be traded, Kim because of his potential at second base, Crawford because of his 12 years of service in San Francisco. But Isiah Kiner-Falefa started only two of the Yankees' final six playoff games in October, and appears available.
And Elvis Andrus, who closed his 14th big-league season with a strong month for the White Sox, remains on the free-agent market, another serviceable defender with occasional power.
"You can never really have too many good middle infielders," Falvey said last month, though now the challenge is finding enough of them. "We have to continue to be creative."
