For Correa, trip to SF represents the path not taken

SAN FRANCISCO -- The boo birds were out to greet Carlos Correa when he stepped into the batter's box in the first inning of the Twins’ 7-1 loss to the Giants on Friday -- something that's not too unusual for him and others who played for the 2017 Astros, whose World Series title was discolored by a sign-stealing scandal.

But the boos took on an added weight at Oracle Park, where he ostensibly could have ended his playing career had things gone differently. It was Correa's first time at the ballpark since December 2022, when he was, as he put it, "a press conference away" from signing with the Giants.

"I was excited to explore the city. I was looking for houses, that part was exciting," Correa said. "But once it fell through, it was time to move on."

The baseball world was captivated by Correa's contract situation for nearly a month during the 2022-23 offseason, a stretch that began with the star shortstop agreeing to a 13-year, $350 million deal with San Francisco -- which then backed out after identifying concerns with Correa's physical, specifically his surgically repaired right ankle from an injury he sustained as a Minor Leaguer in 2014.

"It was obviously an emotional night for the family," Correa said. "I remember [agent] Scott [Boras] calling me to the room. When I signed the first deal here in Minnesota, he called me and was like, 'It's done.' Super simple. This time, he said, 'Come to the room, we need to talk.'"

With the Giants out of the picture, the Mets pounced -- and then voiced similar concerns. The saga ended with a reunion between Correa and the Twins on the biggest free-agent deal in franchise history, a six-year, $200 million pact with vesting options.

It went from routine megadeal -- if there is such a thing -- to free-agent brouhaha unlike anything MLB had seen in quite some time.

"I do not get overly emotional in any direction because nothing is finished until it's finished," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "Was it odd to see all the different news coming every day, going in different directions? Yeah. I was kind of following it like everybody else was kind of following it."

Had the deal been completed, the Twins could have arrived at Oracle Park and looked across the diamond to see Correa clad in orange and black. Instead, they're happy, nearly two years later, to have him in their dugout -- even though his presence did not push them over the top on Friday.

There was an element of bad luck involved. Starter Joe Ryan gave up a season-high-tying five runs in 5 1/3 innings, but felt that he performed better than his final line. The Twins made no errors but did not play clean baseball, as miscues in the field helped the Giants plate three runs in the first two innings.

"Some BABIP [stuff] in there and then just bad defense," Ryan said. "Yanked a couple pitches, probably trying to do a little too much there, and then in the sixth, I just was pretty gassed already."

On the other side of the ball, half of Minnesota's 12 balls hit with an exit velocity of 95 mph or higher went for outs. The Twins' lone run on Friday night came by way of its pair of All-Stars: Correa singled in the top of the sixth inning and went on to score on Willi Castro's groundout.

"They hit it hard, it lands; we hit it hard, it did not really land today," Baldelli said. "It's not something that should keep us up right now. … I'll tell you, if we hit balls hard like we did today, more of those will likely fall tomorrow."

Thanks in part to the infamous marine layer at Oracle Park, Minnesota's streak of games with a home run ended at 28 -- though No. 13 overall prospect Brooks Lee gave it his best shot with a long flyout to left in the second inning -- tied with the 2023 Braves for the second longest in AL/NL history, three shy of the '19 Yankees.

"When you start hitting the ball at night, you can really see such a major difference in the way the balls move as the night moves on," Baldelli said. "You have to play a little bit of a different version of baseball. You have to make all the plays and hit line drives and give yourself the best chance in that manner."