Did the Twins 'Win' the Carlos Correa Trade?

On Wednesday, the Houston Astros revealed that former Twin Carlos Correa tore a tendon in his good ankle while taking batting practice. Season-ending surgery is on the docket, and he's on the shelf until 2027.

Close readers of this website know that late last summer, the Twins made the salary dump of all salary dumps, sending Correa back to Houston for journeyman reliever Matt Mikulski, along with $33 million of Correa's remaining $96 million salary. 

So, did we win? 

THE CASE FOR YES: Minnesota isn't on the hook for $63 million worth of a player who isn't playing. Even if they had no way of knowing that Correa would have a fluke injury to his non-janky ankle, aging players do get hurt. It really is better to be lucky than good, sometimes. And the Twins haven't been in any danger of being good for a couple of seasons now, so luck is truly their best bet.

THE CASE FOR NO: To paraphrase the prophet, you do not, under any circumstances, gotta hand it to them. Minnesota hasn't invested those future savings in anything, and they traded everyone who wasn't nailed down after moving Correa. Mikulski was such a throw-in that he couldn't even compete for a spot in the 2026 Minnesota Twins bullpen, which is breaking official and unofficial records for hurtfulness and sadness. Every reliever's entrance music is Elliott Smith's "Needle in the Hay." I hope Mikulski invested wisely and/or learns to throw a knuckleball, because this is definitely a sign that your baseball career is in crisis.

THE DETERMINATION: There are no winners here. Houston has a worse record than Minnesota, despite an enormous payroll. They're tied with the Angels for the worst record in the American League. The temptation to take solace from that as a Twins fan is mighty, but you mustn't. I'm writing this after Wednesday's 15-2 drubbing by an unremarkable Washington Nationals squad. Unless you yourself were paying Correa that money, it's hard to feel good about anything right now.

In conclusion, I award both teams zero points, and may God have mercy on their souls. Maybe Matt Mikulski's most of all.