When Carlos Correa signed a three-year, 105.3 million contract with the Twins on March 19, it was quickly assumed this would be a short stay for the all-star shortstop.
The deal contains player opt-out clauses after each of the first two seasons, and although the deal is the largest in Twins history, Correa is clearly betting that with a healthy productive 2022, he will have a chance to make more elsewhere in 2023.
But if Correa decides to stay more than a year, well, that’s OK with Royce Lewis, the Twins’ heir apparent shortstop who was set to make his St. Paul debut in the Saints’ home opener Tuesday at CHS Field.
“I’m not a guy that’s going to come in and be stuck up if I don’t play shortstop,” Lewis said before the Saints’ scheduled 6:37 p.m. game against Indianapolis.
And if Correa does, in fact, use that first opt-out to cash in elsewhere, well, that might work out for the Twins, too, because despite a few bad breaks, Lewis is playing the part of a No. 1 overall draft pick.
After not playing in a real game since 2019, the top pick in the 2017 amateur draft entered Tuesday’s game hitting .333 with three doubles, a home run, four walks and three stolen bases for the Twins’ Triple-A club.
“He has held his own pretty well so far,” manager Toby Gardenhire said.
When the 2020 minor league season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, Lewis was part of the Twins’ alternative camp at CHS Field. But that was limited to drills and limited simulated games. Early in spring training last season, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during an infield drill and, after surgery, missed the entire season.
But Lewis appears too happy about playing real games to worry about lost time. The Saints’ six games last week in Louisville, Ky., were his first since the 2019 Arizona Fall League, where he hit .353 with three home runs and 20 RBIs in 22 games and was named Most Valuable Player of the prestigious prospects league. He estimates he hadn’t had a year away from physical activity since he was about 3 years old. Physically, he feels better than ever.
“I don’t need any rest,” Lewis said. “I’m going to be lobbying to play every single day.”
The majors are always full of good players who started their careers as shortstops and found most, if not all, of their playing time elsewhere — Twins second baseman Jorge Polanco and his predecessor Brian Dozier come to mind. But Lewis appears to be on track to make the leap at his lifelong position. He certainly looks the part of a modern shortstop, 6-foot-2 and a solid 200 pounds.