MLB rumors: Carlos Correa happy with Twins for one reason

The Twins hope to keep Carlos Correa in Minnesota this offseason. Despite reports of an opt-out, Correa seems happy, for now.

A postseason appearance would go a long way in achieving that goal, but for now the Twins remain on the outside looking in. A clutch hit by Correa in Thursday night’s game against the Yankees surely helped matters.

Minnesota hopes this can be a launch point for the remainder of their season. As of this writing, the Twins are 1.5 games back of the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central (tied with the White Sox for second), and seven games back of the final AL Wild Card spot.

Ken Rosenthal: Carlos Correa says all the right things about Twins

While he may say the right things, the industry expectation is that Correa will opt out of the final two years of his contract in hopes of a slightly longer deal. That could come in Minnesota, though their mid-market complications make that a tough sell.

The one thing working in their favor, however, is travel. Rosenthal explained this in his article via The Athletic:

"“Another thing Correa enjoys about playing for the Twins is the reduced travel in the AL Central, where teams are more bunched together geographically than in the AL West, his division for six-plus seasons with the Astros. When the Twins play an afternoon road game on a getaway day, Correa said he is often back in the Twin Cities in time for dinner.”"

That advantage is a short-term one, since the league is switching to a more balanced schedule in terms of travel in the coming years. But for now, it could be the one factor the Twins have over other hopeful Correa suitors, and they should use it to their advantage.