Twins shortstop Carlos Correa is ready to head back into the free-agent market.

The two-time All-Star told Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día on Wednesday that he will exercise his opt-out clause and become a free agent.

"With the year that I have had, my health and my being at the best moment of my career at 28, that is the right decision," Correa told the newspaper.

Prior to this season, Correa signed a three-year, $105.3 million contract with Minnesota that contained an opt-out clause following the 2022 and '23 seasons. Correa gave a strong indication at the end of the regular season that he would opt out, saying that his decision was “very simple.”

Correa added earlier this month: “I love this team. I love this organization … But at the same time, I want to make sure that my son and my family are taken care of. Hopefully, the Twins can see the player that I am, the person that I am, the passion that I have for this game and the love that I have for this game. And we can get into some serious conversations.”

Correa wrapped his age-27 season by hitting .291/.366/.467 with 22 homers and 24 doubles. His average and on-base percentage were his best since 2017, and his 136 games played were his second most since that season. His 140 wRC+ is the highest among all qualified MLB shortstops and, by far, the highest in a season by any shortstop in Twins history.

Correa’s 4.4 WAR, per FanGraphs, and 5.4 WAR, per Baseball-Reference, this season were both tops among qualified Twins players.

However, Correa’s defense took a step back according to the Outs Above Average metric. His -3 OAA was his worst mark since 2017 and a significant decline compared to his recent seasons. Correa’s 48 Outs Above Average from 2018-21 were the fourth most among shortstops.