Could Braves turn back the clock and renew interest in Carlos Correa?

With more pressing needs in the rotation and outfield, the general feeling is Orlando Arcia will once again be the Braves starting shortstop in 2025. The top free agent option is off the board, and while there aren’t many places for Alex Anthopoulos to turn for an upgrade, Carlos Correa could become a prominent name in trade conversations over the next couple of weeks.

“When (Correa) was on the field, he was one of the best players in the game,” Twins general manager David Falvey said, via Dan Hayes of The Athletic. “Ultimately, he didn’t play as many games as we would have liked because he was dealing with the plantar fasciitis. That was unfortunate. But when he played, he was really good for us. He’s a leader. He’s a key member of the clubhouse. Obviously, you expect teams to call on players like that, especially with where we are and some of the conversations we’re having with other clubs. But we want to win, so a high bar is set.”

Financially, the Twins are handcuffed. They don’t have a roster that’s good enough to win a championship, and they don’t have the dollars that are necessary to improve free agency. Exploring a Carlos Correa trade could be in their best interest, who is coming off a season in which he played in just 86 games and recorded 4.3 fWAR.

Correa is widely regarded as a fantastic clubhouse guy, and he’s still one of the best shortstops in the game, both offensively and defensively. The Braves also had interest in him back when he first became a free agent following his time with the Astros. Back then, it was always highly unlikely the Braves gave into Correa’s lofty contractual demands, but now, he only has four years and about $130 million left on his contract. That’s a pretty sweet deal, considering Willy Adames, who is half the player Correa is when healthy, just signed for seven years and $182 million with the San Francisco Giants over the weekend.

Of course, when talking about bringing in a contract of that magnitude, the luxury tax has to be taken into consideration. The Braves are only $24 million away from the first luxury tax threshold, and Correa’s contract would lead them to blow by that while still having some other holes to fill. However, Alex Anthopoulos has said on several occasions that the luxury tax will not be a hindrance and that the Braves payroll will continue to rise. If that’s the case, the value could make sense if the Twins begin to seriously consider trading Carlos Correa.