Carlos Correa aiming to build 'championship culture' with Minnesota Twins

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Carlos Correa has declared October «his time.» It certainly hasn't been Minnesota's.

The Twins hope Correa can fix that, even if his stay in Minneapolis is short.

«I want to build a championship culture in this organization,» Correa said.

The former Houston Astros star tugged on a Twins' No. 4 jersey and was formally introduced Wednesday, five days after agreeing to a $105.3 million, three-year contract that includes opt-outs after the first and second seasons.

The Twins have famously lost 18 straight postseason games since their last October victory in 2004 — their most recent loss was in the 2020 wild-card round when Correa hit a go-ahead homer at Target Field to complete Houston's sweep.

Correa is a World Series champion who cemented his playoff stardom last fall by celebrating a go-ahead homer against Boston by pointing to his wrist, looking into the home dugout and affirming, «It's my time.»

«He elevates the confidence because this person has simply done this before,» Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.

It's part of why small-market Minnesota went for such an unusual deal. Correa's $35.1 million average salary trails only Mike Trout's $36 million with the Angels, a total in the same range as entire projected Opening Day payrolls in Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

The financial commitment from Twins ownership a year after finishing last in the American League Central stands out in a sport in which so-called tanking fueled acrimony from players that led to a 99-day work stoppage.

«When I called (Twins chairman) Jim Pohlad as we were getting closer to this on Friday, immediate support,» president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. «I mean, there's no other way to describe it.»

Correa will