The TwinsFest fan event in Minnesota was today and, as noted by Matthew Leach of MLB.com, manager Rocco Baldelli and president of baseball operations Derek Falvey provided updates on the health of a number of major players on the roster. Chief among those was shortstop Carlos Correa, who turned in phenomenal numbers for the Twins on a rate basis last year but was limited to just 86 games due to plantar fasciitis. Falvey noted today that Correa has had “no issues” with his plantar fasciitis this offseason, and Correa himself backed that up.
“I’m ready to go, full go for spring training,” Correa told reporters, as relayed by Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune. “I’ve been sprinting. I’ve been running around. I’ve been doing about everything. I’ve been focused on not only just treatment but also strengthening. A lot of walking barefoot around the house. All that’s helping work on my toes and all that, so I’m in a really good spot.”
Nightengale adds that Correa is ahead of schedule relative to last offseason and has already begun hitting and taking groundballs in addition to running. That Correa appears to be fully healthy headed into 2025 is surely a huge relief for the Twins, as the shortstop is arguably the club’s most impactful player when healthy. If he can deliver anything like last season’s .310/.388/.517 slash line over a full season this year, that should be a huge boost for the Twins as they angle towards making a return to the postseason following a frustrating late-season collapse last September.
Correa isn’t the only impact player who received a positive health update today, however. Falvey and Baldelli both indicated that having a normal offseason without any rehabbing or physical therapy has done wonders for center fielder Byron Buxton, who has often been injured frequently throughout his career but managed to appear in 102 games this year with a .279/.335/.524 slash line in 388 trips to the plate. If he can build on his healthy offseason and stay on the field in 2025, that would give the Twins a second player with five-win potential in their lineup alongside Correa.
Turning to the rotation, right-hander Joe Ryan ended the 2024 campaign on the shelf due to Grade 2 teres major strain that sidelined him back in August. Fortunately, the issue has not bled into the offseason and Leach indicates that he’s at the same point in his throwing program that he would be at this point in the winter during any other year. That’s surely a huge relief for the Twins given that Ryan was their best starter last year when healthy. The 28-year-old righty posted a strong 3.60 ERA (115 ERA+) with a 3.44 FIP and a strong 27.3% strikeout rate in 23 starts for the club last season. Building on that performance in 2025 would be particularly key for the Twins if staff ace Pablo Lopez were to be traded this winter, though rumors have quieted down on that front since reports indicated the club was listening to offers on him last month.
One other update to come from today’s festivities involved infielder Royce Lewis and the club’s plans for him in 2025. Earlier this winter, reporting indicated that the Twins were considering a shift from third base to second for Lewis. Since then, it’s been confirmed that the club plans to have Lewis take reps at both positions during Spring Training, but LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune relayed this evening that Falvey made clear the club’s plan as things stand is for Lewis to continue playing third base during the season this year. That would seemingly leave second base open for 2022 first rounder Brooks Lee, though Edouard Julien is also capable of playing the position.
Remember when mets & giants almost signed correa to 13 yr deal? Holy crap they saved themselves from a disaster. Always pay attention to those physicals & always be careful who you give $350 mil to
? Correa has been incredibly productive while healthy. The physical raised an issue with his ankle. He has been on the IL zero times with an ankle injury. His contract is for $200 million, not $350 million. Educate yourself
He was offered a contract of $350m prior to the discovery of the ankle issues.
How’s the kids song go? Dem dancing bones?…’The foot bone is connected to the leg bone’….How’s that for education?
Tigers fans were all hoping they’d sign Correa, myself included, and the experts were all calling it a good match. Correa has had injuries, certainly, but look at the numbers. Who do you think the Tigers would have rather signed , Correa or Baez, the one we actually got? You can substitute Boston and Trevor Story in that same question if you want. In the year with the exceptional class of free agent shortstops, Texas got the best two, but after that, Minnesota is the only team not regretting their signing.
The Tigers offered $250 million and Correa turned his nose up at it, then had to settle for less. I too hoped they would sign him at that point. He was definitely superior to Baez but I never liked his attitude. I’m glad they didn’t circle back to him when he came back on the market.
It was $275mil for ten years. Twins got him at $200mil for six. That’s almost $6mil/year more.
If Lewis can actually stay healthy for a full season he may become a “contender”….:any way the Twins can wrap him in bubble wrap and have a designated runner for him every time he leaves the batters box????
They…have a type.
This is so sadly true.
Death, Taxes and a Byron Buxton IR placement
Buxton, Correa, Lewis, and now Lee.
Right. If those guys can stay healthy the twins have a really good top of the order. The question is can they even get one season of them being healthy together.
The twins have great talent in the farm and on the field, but keeping athletes healthy has been a long going issue. Not the only team.
I know the league/trainers have been pushing abilities of players, but they have to find a balance.
There real problem this offseason is the disaster with management, tv contract and the sale of the team. Doing absolutely nothing because you’re paralyzed is not a way to operate for now or the future.
Tigers fans were all hoping they’d sign Correa, myself included, and the experts were all calling it a good match. Correa has had injuries, certainly, but look at the numbers. Who do you think the Tigers would have rather signed , Correa or Baez, the one we actually got? You can substitute Boston and Trevor Story in that same question if you want. In the year with the exceptional class of free agent shortstops, Texas got the best two, but after that, Minnesota is the only team not regretting their signing.
Texas got the best two cuz they signed them a year earlier then the Correa, Swanson, Boegy, Turner winter
Brroks Lee is not the picture of health. He played only 85 games through 3 levels last season because of injuries.
“After a 2024 season full of injuries, to start his professional career, the biggest concern surrounding Lee is his health, specifically his back. Last year, Brooks admitted that his back pain could be chronic, and something he has to manage for the rest of his career, something he reiterated during an interview this week with Twins Radio producer, Mark Genosky”.
Chronic back injuries do not bode well for players at the keystone. I would be very concerned about counting on him to cover 2B this season.
I hope the Twins don’t lose him to early retirement like what happened to Kirrilof. Then questions may start rumbling about what it is about Twins player development that causes guys to either crash out early or level off at a decent but not spectacular level (Larnach, Miranda, Julien, Wallner, Kepler; etc)
Buxton is one of the most overrated players in recent memory.
“A lot of walking barefoot around the house.”
—Now _that’s_ a training regimen.
Any team counting on Buxton to be healthy and productive all season deserves to miss the playoffs.
Buxton “has often been injured frequently”.
This is the most true thing I have ever read about Buxton,
I love it!
Plantar fasciitis is a weird injury. It comes and goes in spurts. It can be debilitating and then randomly disappear. In can’t imagine wearing spikes with it. It hurt wearing work boots climbing ladders or doing a pre-bid job walk. Imagine how good Correa could have been without it or what numbers Pujols could have added to his career totals.
I think the training staff should be looked at for the Twins. Some injuries are bound to happen, but the chronic ones and repeated injuries seems like something is off with our training staff.
The team can’t be sold soon enough. Once new ownership happens the impact signings hopefully will start happening. We don’t have to spend like the Dodgers but we still could sign some more veteran depth.
I don’t see how the new ownership possibilities have anything to do with Falvey doing his damn job. The needs have been made clear, staying within the budget does not mean sitting on your hands all winter.
If you have to cut payroll, what would you like Falve to do that moves the roster forward? With a down year for most of the roster, values are at a low point making it difficult to make trades.
Flaherty is still available, numerous veteran relievers are there. This guy Falvey is an Idiot. If I were him I would have gone after every big name free agent available from the jump. What are the Pohlads going to do? Fire you? You getting fired anyway bro. Might as well go out with a bang.
The Red Sox still need a quality RHB, pitcher & closer and the Twins need salary relief. I propose a straight up trade (no money included) of Carlos Correa, Pablo López & Jhoan Durán for Triston Casas, Wilyer Abreu, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford & Garrett Whitlock. Win win?
Thus is a recycled story from two months ago with updates. Teams are signing people left and right. This is a sad attempt to keep twins fans interested, with minor league signings and coach hirings. Pathetic.