The Minnesota Twins' unloading of the $50 million remaining on Josh Donaldson's contract earlier this week makes a lot more sense now, with the unexpected news that the team has agreed to terms with free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa on a three-year, $105.3 million deal.
Correa, considered by many the top name on the free-agent market in both fantasy baseball and the real world, will immediately take over as the Twins' shortstop, returning Jorge Polanco to second base while locking in Gio Urshela, who was acquired in the Donaldson deal, at third base. Luis Arraez, who was set to start at second base, will return to the utility role he occupied previously, seeing time between second and third base and in left field most prominently.
With Correa on board and Urshela at third base, the Twins aren't really in much different shape defensively than they were in 2021 with Andrelton Simmons and Donaldson handling those positions. Correa is the American League's defending Platinum Glove Award winner (a prize that goes to the league's overall top defender), and Urshela, whose defensive metrics have been a subject of much debate, is still well regarded in the field. There's no reason to alter your expectations from Twins pitchers.
