Twins welcome Correa, embrace heightened expectations

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Carlos Correa met his new Minnesota teammates on Monday morning — and wasted no time making new friends.

Two days after agreeing to a deal that makes him the highest-paid infielder in baseball, Correa walked into the Twins clubhouse and introduced himself to almost everyone inside.

Correa's three-year, $105.3 million contract, which pays $35.1 million annually and includes opt-outs after the first and second seasons, is pending a physical and is not expected to become official until Wednesday morning. That didn't prevent Correa from making the rounds before the team bus left for an exhibition game against the Baltimore Orioles up the Florida coast in Sarasota.

“He’s a guy you want on your team. Period,” said Twins reliever Tyler Duffey, who was drafted 159 spots after Correa in 2012. “He lives for the big moment and thrives in it. Been fun watching what he’s done for Houston with being a big piece for the Astros.”

The excitement around the Twins has been palpable from the moment news of Correa’s decision broke in the early hours of Saturday morning. A two-time All-Star and the 2015 American League Rookie of the Year, Correa batted .279 with a .366 on-base percentage and a .485 slugging percentage with 26 home runs and 92 RBIs in 640 plate appearances last season for Houston.

Whether it was shock that Correa chose the Twins, debates over selling jersey numbers to the guy with the richest contract on the team, or the realization that the move signifies the team’s intention to compete, Twins players have been in an upbeat mood over the last three days.

Correa’s deal comes on the heels of three roster-altering trades made by the Twins last weekend. They traded third baseman Josh Donaldson, catchers