Around the horn: Correa headlines Twins' depth at shortstop

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In theory, shortstop should be one of the Twins’ more stable and productive positions for years to come. Even considering Carlos Correa’s struggles with plantar fasciitis in 2023, it’s probably still too early to flip the narrative on that.

Still, 2024 will represent a significant season to get that narrative back on track and cement the highest-paid player in club history as a building block up the middle. All signs are that the offseason away from action (and the plantar fascia rupture late last season) should allow for Correa to play a more pain-free season up to his usual lofty standards -- but he’ll need to show it.

Given the Twins’ near total silence so far this offseason on both the trade and free-agent markets, it’s looking as though a large chunk of their improvement will have to come from within. In particular, they'll need more from their pair of offensive stars in Correa and Byron Buxton, who were both significantly held back by injury.

Where things stand

Current MLB depth (with 2023 stats):

Correa, age 29 (135 G, 1.4 bWAR, 96 wRC+, 18 HR, .230/.312/.399)
Kyle Farmer, age 33 (120 G, 1.7 bWAR, 101 wRC+, 11 HR, .256/.317/.408)
Royce Lewis, age 24 (58 G, 2.4 bWAR, 155 wRC+, 15 HR, .309/.372/.548)
Nick Gordon, age 28 (34 G, -0.2 bWAR, 30 wRC+, 2 HR, .176/.185/.319)

Also on the 40-man: None

Shortstop remains a clear area of strength in both depth and high-end talent at or near the Major League level. Even if Correa sustains an injury, the Twins should be in pretty good shape, whether it’s through their Plan B or perhaps even down to their Plan C.

Farmer remains a depth option for now to fill in here and there. If the Twins need a more everyday option to fill in for Correa, they’ve expressed the desire to keep Lewis fresh at shortstop and seemingly haven’t ruled the youngster out as their next option there if needed. Behind Lewis, they’ve also got Brooks Lee, the club's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, who should be more or less ready by the summer.

Whether it’s Lewis at shortstop and Lee at third base -- or the other way around -- in the event of a longer-term opening, it’ll be a step down defensively from Correa. That said, the top-tier talent level should leave the Twins in a great place.

Key question: Can Correa put his 2023 injuries behind him?

The first part of this is ensuring Correa’s health, of which the Twins have continued to express confidence throughout the offseason. He did not undergo any extra surgical procedures following the season, with the plantar fascia rupture in September believed to be the important step in his recovery.

“Tracking really well,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said at the Winter Meetings. “[We’ve] felt like he’s really turned a corner and we’ll continue to do some of his baseball activity. … There was no surgical procedure or anything else after that rupture. It was really just about giving him time to heal, giving him some treatment during this period of time.”

A healthy Correa will still need to show his numbers can rebound to his usual stellar form from the 2022 season. He had to make numerous mechanical tweaks as he searched throughout last season for something that would help him play with the fasciitis, and he’ll need to reset from that turbulence.

In the pipeline (with MLB Pipeline ranks):

No. 2 Brooks Lee (Triple-A St. Paul)
No. 10 Danny De Andrade (Single-A Fort Myers)
No. 23 Noah Miller (High-A Cedar Rapids)