ST. PAUL -- On the first day of the 2022 season, before Carlos Correa, who had just signed the richest free-agent contract in Minnesota Twins history weeks earlier, had even played a game with his new team, he had one thing he wanted to make clear.
“It’s not my team. It’s Byron’s team,” he said, referring to all-star center fielder Byron Buxton. “He’s been the guy who’s been around for so long. He’s the guy that’s led these guys to multiple playoff seasons. I believe in his talent and his leadership. This is his team.”
It seems safe to say, after Correa agreed to a six-year, $200 million deal to return to the Twins on Tuesday following the disintegration of two prior agreed-upon deals, that it’s both Buxton and Correa’s team now. And nobody seems happier about that than Buxton.
Shortly after news of Correa’s return broke on social media, Buxton posted a picture to Instagram of the two of them high-fiving with the caption, “Hard to hold that in from everybody but I did!! LFG my brother!!,” complete with a heart emoji.
Twins infielders Luis Arraez and Jorge Polanco both commented on the picture, with Polanco adding a couple of fire emojis and Arraez writing, “Vamossss,” complete with a range of emojis. Jhoan Duran added some hearts and fire emojis of his own, and fellow reliever Trevor Megill added, “LFG,” which stands for let’s (expletive) go.
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Buxton also quote-tweeted a video of him and Correa embracing and laughing in the dugout along with the caption, “And we back,” with three lightning bolts.
Correa and Buxton have been linked since the two were drafted first and second overall in the 2012 draft — Correa to the Houston Astros and Buxton to the Twins. Correa’s new deal means that the Twins now have both stars under contract through the prime of their careers, giving them a pair of players — and leaders — to build around.
Buxton, 29, signed a seven-year, $100 million deal ahead of last season that takes him through 2028. Correa, 28, is signed through 2028 also, with the possibility of four additional years beyond that.
Before the end of the 2022 season, after it was announced that Buxton would be undergoing season-ending surgery, Buxton credited Correa with helping him throughout the season, telling him not to try to battle through knee pain. In showing his appreciation for his teammate, Buxton also said he was planning on lobbying to get Correa to return.
“That’s my plan,” Buxton said in September. “I’ve got a lot of time to do that, so my job is to be a bug. That’s what I’m going to do. He’s amazing.”
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