The Chicago White Sox have already been having a terrible off-season. They don't act like a winning team in any way, shape, or form but that doesn't mean we should be giving up on 2023 as fans. There is a lot that can go right for this team to sneak into the postseason.
We all know about health and getting some folks back on track. That is nice and all but it is always fun to see the teams standing in their way get worse. One of those teams is the Minnesota Twins. The Twins failed to reach the postseason in 2022 after a collapse but they were still dangerous.
Now, they are taking a hit to their roster as Carlos Correa left after signing a deal with them last off-season. He opted out after one year which made him a free agent once again.
Now, he signed a 13-year deal worth 350 million dollars so he is out of the division forever. The White Sox will have to face him sometimes during inter-league play (including the 2023 home opener) but nothing like when he was a division rival.
BREAKING: Shortstop Carlos Correa and the San Francisco Giants are in agreement on a 13-year, $350 million contract, a source familiar with the deal tells ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 14, 2022
The Chicago White Sox won't be seeing Carlos Correa as much anymore.
This is amazing news for the White Sox (and Cleveland Guardians). Both of them want to take the division in 2023 and it will be more likely if the Twins are worse.
This is a good deal for both Correa and the Giants. For Correa, he is the highest paid shortstop who ever lived which is very nice for him and his family.
For the Giants, they are getting a battle-tested World Series champion that hits very well along with playing some Gold Glove defense at a premier baseball position.
They are automatically a much better team by adding him to their group. It is a decent second-place prize after thinking that they landed Aaron Judge for five minutes.
The Twins missing on Correa after his one year there is great news for the White Sox but it will mean nothing if they don't put their best foot forward. It doesn't seem that way right now but maybe they will surprise some people.
One last thing to worry about is the Twins pivoting to the last remaining shortstop on the "elite free agent" list. That distinction belongs to Dansby Swanson. We can only hope that he chooses to go elsewhere and the White Sox actually do something of significance this winter.