The Twins will enter the 2022 Major League Baseball season with one of the league's best shortstops, as the club was able to land Carlos Correa in free agency.
But for some time, the organization reportedly had a vision of a different superstar manning the position in Minnesota.
The Twins won the Correa sweepstakes by giving the two-time All-Star a three-year, $105.3 million deal, which gives him the highest annual salary for an infielder in the big leagues. But according to The Athletic's Dan Hayes and Ken Rosenthal, Minnesota didn't pursue Correa until the club realized signing Trevor Story was no longer realistic.
"At the time, the Twins had no idea Correa was an option," the column reads. "They instead focused on free-agent shortstop Trevor Story, believing they could make him a competitive offer.
"Early in the week, the Twins thought they had momentum with Story. Talks were centered around shorter-term deals with potential opt-outs. The Twins indicated they were open to offering four years in excess of $100 million. They also told Story he would play shortstop, a position not all of their competitors had available.
"But negotiations soured late in the week when the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants entered the mix. Story made it clear he was looking for a longer deal, and ultimately received $140 million over six years with the Red Sox."
As fate would have it, Story and the Red Sox will play their first home game of the 2022 season April 15 against Correa and the Twins.
