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Carlos Correa’s third contract agreement of the offseason was the first to become official, reuniting the free agent shortstop with the Minnesota Twins.

“It was not what we expected going into the offseason, flying across the United States,” Correa said at Target Field in Minneapolis during a Wednesday press conference. “The whole process was crazy. But the endgame was great. I’m happy where I’m at right now. I’m excited that I finally get back to work.”

Correa passed his physical with the Twins to seal a six-year, $200 million contract, ending a monthlong circus in free agency.

The Twins confirmed the contract became official Wednesday before a press conference at Target Field. The deal includes team options for 2029, 2030, 2031 and 2032. Those years can “automatically vest based on performance the previous season,” the Twins said Wednesday.

Correa’s free agency ordeal began Nov. 7, when he opted out of the final two years of a contract with the Twins that would’ve paid him $70.2 million.

On Dec. 13, Correa agreed to a 13-year, $350 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. However, he never reached the signature stage to finalize that contract due to concerns the Giants had with his surgically repaired right leg.

Correa then agreed to a 12-year, $315 million contract with the Mets on Dec. 21.

While MLB Network reported Tuesday that Correa’s contract proposal from the Mets guaranteed only the first six years and $160 million, not the entire 12-year deal, medical concerns again halted conversations.

Correa, 28, batted .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs in 136 games last season with the Twins. In November, he opted out of the final two seasons of a what was a three-year, $105.3 million deal to become a free agent.

Correa is a career .279 hitter with a .357 on-base percentage, a .479 slugging percentage, 155 home runs and 553 RBIs across 888 games with the Houston Astros (2015-21) and Twins. He won a World Series with Houston in 2017, was an All-Star in 2017 and 2021, won American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2015 and earned a Gold Glove at shortstop in 2021.

Correa was named winner of the Most Valuable Twin Award, the Bob Allison Award for leadership, the Jim Kaat Award as Twins Defensive Player of the Year, the Mike Augustin “Media Good Guy” Award and the Carl R. Pohlad Outstanding Community Service Award, as voted on by the Twin Cities chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America and the Twins Community Fund Board of Directors.

To make room for Correa on the 40-man roster, outfielder Kyle Garlick was designated for assignment. Garlick, 30, batted .229 with a .720 OPS, as well as 17 home runs and 37 RBIs over 144 games in four seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Philies and Twins.

–Field Level Media