Yankees: 4 ways they lost the free agent shortstop frenzy
By Tim Boyle
The Twins turned around and embarrassed the Yankees by signing Carlos Correa
Regarded as the best free agent out there this offseason by practically everyone, Carlos Correa ended up signing with the Twins. Yes, those Twins. Not the identical brother of the Minnesota club that traded for a shortstop then flipped him to the Yankees. It’s the same team!
Correa ended up settling for a short-term deal to join the Twins when there were surely some longer offers out there. None seemed to match what he wanted, though. The plan seems to be to guarantee himself a large salary this year and give himself opportunities to opt-out in the future to secure even more money in future free agent classes.
It was stunning enough for Correa to land with the Twins. For Yankees fans, they began to question why the front office didn’t simply make him the same or slightly better offer.
The Twins probably wouldn’t have been able to make this deal without the Yankees taking on Donaldson’s big contract. The Yankees did them a favor. Now, the Twins are looking like a formidable opponent for the postseason.
The Yankees were left with one other option in free agency: Trevor Story. Even with Kiner-Falefa on the roster, they could find a way to work. After all, the team that did end up signing Story already had a shortstop of their own.