Carlos Correa Can Make Up the Difference for the Twins

You are right about the 20 HR's per year but hitting .300 has only happened once and close to .300 has only happened once. He's more likely to hit .275-.280 which has happened 4 times. Maybe I'm just splitting hairs but let's not make him better than what he really is. What would really be nice if if he would play and perform at that level for 155-160 games like the other top shortstops in baseball, since he's getting paid like one.

The double plays should go to 14 next season if he returns to an average season.

30 minutes ago, Oldgoat_MN said:

While it's likely that Correa's numbers will improve I believe we can also expect a lot more from Buxton. People saying that we can't expect more than what we got last year seem to forget that his OPS was greater than .800 in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

I am cautiously optimistic that our offense can improve dramatically, led by our 2 star players.

I'm more skeptical. I'm not so sure now.  I kinda think the version of Correa we saw last season is more in line with the player he's going to be moving forward.  Not bad, not great either and certainly not worth 200 million.

We still need solid innings coverage to replace the innings lost.  No one should be expecting to replace the 2nd best pitcher in the league with the same level of production.  But if we can find a pitcher who gets a low to mid 3.50 ERA then we can be competitive and more improvements can come from other places.  We have a nice chunk of innings replaced already.  But if we can find a starter who can get us atleast 150 more.  We should be alright.

A healthy C4 turns 15 of the gidp into rbi singles or doubles. Just that would have made ‘23 an average season for him. I’m not even worried about ‘24. He will be healthy and thriving at the plate. 

6 hours ago, laloesch said:

I'm more skeptical. I'm not so sure now.  I kinda think the version of Correa we saw last season is more in line with the player he's going to be moving forward.  Not bad, not great either and certainly not worth 200 million.

You expect him to post 1.4 WAR or less the rest of his career? I’ll bet the billion dollars I don’t have on the over on that. Unless he’s a total dud and has to retire early because of a career ending injury there’s almost no chance of that. He’s still only 29. 

If he lays off that high and inside pitch he can't handle , that would be nice  ...

I expect Correa will be better  after recovering from  his injury that he played with until the last 2 weeks  , he played while not 100 percent  , says something about his character   ...

Polanco has been another  player that has played under 100 percent healthy  ...

I sure hope we have a nice warm spring and the Twins get off to a nice start ...

9 hours ago, PatPfund said:

The team still needs a starter to add depth, and they need to sort out the CF spot, but a good foundation is in place.

I think they need a starter for the top end. They have depth. They need someone like Lopez who has a good chance of outpitching the competition.

You brought up Kirilloff and they need a backup plan for him as much as they do for Buxton. Having another 1B/COF bat would be quite helpful. Rhys Hoskins would be such a great fit.

what we need is a Brad Radke, unfortunately there isn't a lot of those around. A guy who for 10 plus yrs took the mound and ate up innings.

14 hours ago, TNtwins85 said:

You expect him to post 1.4 WAR or less the rest of his career? I’ll bet the billion dollars I don’t have on the over on that. Unless he’s a total dud and has to retire early because of a career ending injury there’s almost no chance of that. He’s still only 29. 

Those are your words not mine, I’m not sure what to expect moving forward as far as specific war.  
 

What I said was have a suspicion that he will be closer to last season’s numbers in production than years past.  And there’s always the possibility of players not being able to stay healthy affecting their production.  Correa does have a length injury history including bad ankle and back in addition to foot arch issues.  Those issues are not going away.  
 

People were warning about this with Buxton for years meanwhile another group of fans were screaming rabidly at them and telling them to be quiet and how they were dead wrong.  History repeats itself.
 

Correa is a very good player and we all want him to succeed, but will he stay healthy that is the question.

I think there's a excellent chance for Correa to have a big rebound at the plate in 2024. A foot injury like that can really sap a player's power, and I think it's very likely that he'll be driving the ball better, getting it in the air more consistently, and hitting into fewer DPs. He's had a few tough years at the plate, but every one of them has been marked by injury (or the weird pandemic season), so we'll see if he's healthy. Sure looked it in the post-season!

A healthy season from Correa will be a very productive one at the plate, I'm convinced of that. The off-season should be good for his bum foot, and an average season at the plate for him would make a big difference for the Twins.

I feel pretty confident in the offense for the Twins right now: a return to health for Correa, full seasons from Julien, Lewis, and Wallner are all a good start. That's without expecting significant contributions from Buxton. I think the offense could be a real strength in 2024.

Without a medical report and a doctor to interpret the results, I have no idea what to expect from Correa or Buxton.  However, I know two things ... The prospect of either or both rebounding is pretty darn exciting, and the optimistic point of view is more fun.

On 12/9/2023 at 9:04 AM, laloesch said:

Those are your words not mine, I’m not sure what to expect moving forward as far as specific war.  
 

What I said was have a suspicion that he will be closer to last season’s numbers in production than years past.  And there’s always the possibility of players not being able to stay healthy affecting their production.  Correa does have a length injury history including bad ankle and back in addition to foot arch issues.  Those issues are not going away.  
 

People were warning about this with Buxton for years meanwhile another group of fans were screaming rabidly at them and telling them to be quiet and how they were dead wrong.  History repeats itself.
 

Correa is a very good player and we all want him to succeed, but will he stay healthy that is the question.

I understand yet according to your gut analysis he’s not a good player at all. He’s had constant injury issues and he’s only going to get worse. That’s just simply not true. Maybe to a degree but yet he’s still 29. He’s played in 80% of the season in 5 of his 9 seasons and 67% of the season in 7 of his 9 seasons. He’s only had 2 seasons of less than 3.1 WAR. His career average is 4.5 WAR. He plays solid defense and is a leader in the locker room. This guy is not Buxton. And he’s not going to be a 1.4 WAR or less player the rest of his career. That price is what you pay for this type of player. Did he have a terrible year last year? Yes. Agreed. You’re looking as if the glass is empty and I’m simply looking at it as if it’s half full. 

One of Correa's biggest strengths is his intelligence. He'll know he had a down year but he also won't panic about it. With his defense, he doesn't need to produce MVP numbers at the plate. A .270-.280 BA with 20+ homers, 80-90 RBI will be more than fine. I think he'll produce those sorts of numbers going forwards.

Carlos Correa is wired differently. He has a superstar mindset. Those types of players rarely have consecutive down seasons. They fix their problems and rebound. I don't see him fading into obscurity without a fight.