The Minnesota Twins have finalised their contract agreement with Carlos Correa, ending a month-long saga in which the star shortstop reached deals with two other teams that were held up due to medical concerns. 

Minnesota announced on Wednesday that Correa has passed a physical, and the team scheduled a press conference for 12:30 p.m. ET to formally announce the re-signing. 

MLB.com reports the contract to be for six years and $200 million and includes four vesting option years that can make the deal worth an additional $70 million. 

Correa exercised an opt-out clause in the three-year, $105 million contract he signed with Minnesota last March and originally agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on December 13. The Giants pulled out of the agreement a week later, however, over concerns about an ankle injury Correa sustained in 2014.

The 28-year-old then reached a 12-year, $315 million agreement with the New York Mets, who also raised concerns about Correa's surgically repaired ankle following a physical exam and attempted to revise language in his contract.

Correa's agent, Scott Boras, restarted talks with other teams last week as the impasse with the Mets remained, which allowed the Twins to re-enter the picture and ultimately work out the largest free-agent contract in team history. 

In 136 games for the Twins in 2022, Correa hit .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs with 70 runs scored.

The two-time All-Star and 2021 Gold Glove winner spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Houston Astros after being picked first overall in the 2012 draft and was named the 2015 American League Rookie of the Year.

A career .279 hitter and key contributor to Houston's 2017 World Series championship team, Correa has 155 home runs and 553 RBIs in 888 games.

The New York Yankees made an addition to their front office on Tuesday, hiring Brian Sabean as executive advisor to senior vice president and general manager Brian Cashman.

Sabean, who began his career in major league baseball with the Yankees nearly four decades ago, spent the last 30 years with the San Francisco Giants and was the architect of the franchise’s World Series championship dynasty over the last decade.

The 66-year-old Sabean served as the Giants’ GM from 1996 to 2014 before being promoted to executive vice president of baseball operations – a position he held until after the 2018 season, when he stepped down to serve as a scout.

During his 18 years of service as the Giants’ GM, the franchise won the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series championships, four NL pennants and five division titles.

The Giants released a statement thanking him for his services.

“The San Francisco Giants would like to extend its deepest gratitude to Brian Sabean for his enormous contributions to our organisation and wish him the best of luck in his new position with the New York Yankees.”

Sabean’s first job in MLB was for the Yankees, working as a scout in 1985. The following year he was promoted to director of scouting and by 1990 he we named vice president of player and development.

He held that position through the 1992 season before being hired by the Giants as assistant to the GM and vice president of scouting/player personnel.

San Francisco Giants executive Farhan Zaidi confirmed it was a "difference of opinion on the medical review" that caused the franchise's $350million free agent deal with Carlos Correa to fall apart.

Correa, 28, sent shockwaves through the league when he agreed to a 13-year free agent deal with the Giants, only for the signing to be called off three hours before the scheduled introductory press conference.

With San Francisco off the table, Correa and agent Scott Boras moved on to the New York Mets, agreeing to a 12-year, $315m contract – which has still not been finalised as they tackle the same medical issues that scared away the Giants.

In his first interview since the debacle, Zaidi made an effort to insist those risks are simply a part of the free agent game.

"I was on the phone with Scott Boras on the Monday that we did Carlos' physical right when his plane landed," he said. "So any suggestion that this was an 11th-hour thing is just not accurate.

"As soon as we had information, we shared it. We have a good working relationship with Scott Boras and his agency."

Zaidi confirmed the Giants and Correa's camp had "a difference of opinion on the medical review" – with ESPN's reporting adding that it is regarding an ankle injury and subsequent surgery on the issue back in 2014.

The Giants were also considered the favourites to land the top free agent on the market, but reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge shunned them to return to the New York Yankees on a nine-year, $360m deal.

As a result, Zaidi himself became a target online of disgruntled Giants fans, and he admitted that is hard to get use to.

"It's always a little jarring when you open up your Twitter app just to see what's happening in the world and your name is trending," he said. "That's generally not a good thing.

"At the end of the day I understand it comes with the territory. We have fans that really care, really are invested in this team and at the end of the day our job is to just put a compelling, fun team to watch on the field.

"This is baseball, I feel really fortunate to be in this job, I love it. I love the responsibility that comes with it, and part of my responsibility when things don't go your way is to support and lift other people up and not dwell on the negatives."

The Giants ended up addressing their outfield need with former Seattle Mariner Mitch Haniger on a three-year, $43.5m deal, as well as New York Mets left-handed bat Michael Conforto for two years and $36m.

The New York Mets reportedly harbour concerns regarding Carlos Correa's physical, potentially throwing their 12-year, $315million agreement with the star shortstop into doubt.

Earlier this week, free agent Correa appeared set to join the San Francisco Giants after reportedly agreeing a 13-year, $350m contract with the franchise.

The Giants were set to make their agreement with the two-time MLB All-Star public on Tuesday, only for the news conference to be postponed amid reports of a medical issue arising during Correa's physical.

That delay allowed the Mets to swoop for Correa, with team owner Steve Cohen subsequently telling The New York Post a deal was close to being finalised.

"We need one more thing, and this is it," Cohen said. "This was important. This puts us over the top."

However, Correa could now see a second move collapse in quick succession after a report from The Athletic claimed the Mets are concerned about his surgically repaired lower right leg.

He underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a fractured right fibula and minor ligament damage at the age of 19 in 2014.

The report said the Mets have reservations about Correa's long-term fitness, while acknowledging Cohen's public statements on the progress of the deal could make it difficult for them to withdraw entirely.

The New York Post's baseball columnist Jon Heyman said both parties were trying to "work it through".

Correa has made seven trips to the injured list since 2015, with a torn ligament in his thumb, lower back soreness and a fractured rib.

If the Mets were to perform a remarkable U-turn on their decision to pursue Correa, it would represent a severe blow for a player who has only played at least 150 games in a season once in his eight-year career.

Carlos Correa's proposed deal to join the San Francisco Giants collapsed due to a "difference of opinion", a team statement said on Wednesday.

Having agreed a 13-year, $350 million contract last week, the Giants cancelled a proposed press conference on Tuesday to announce the signing – with reports stating this was due to a medical issue.

While it was suggested the deal would still be finalised, the delay allowed the New York Mets to swoop and a slightly shorter 12-year, $315 million agreement was reached to bring Correa to New York, according to the New York Post.

The Giants have now had their say in the remarkable sequence of events in a brief statement, where President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi confirmed the deal ended due to a "difference of opinion" that arose following a physical evaluation.

"While we are prohibited from disclosing confidential medical information, as Scott Boras stated publicly, there was a difference of opinion over the results of Carlos’ physical examination. We wish Carlos the best," the statement read.

With seven trips to the injured list since 2015, Correa has dealt with durability issues in his eight-year career and has played at least 150 games in a season just once.

However, Correa played 58 games in the shortened 60-game season in 2020, followed by 148 in 2021 and 136 last season.

Boras, Correa's agent, spoke to The Athletic on Wednesday and dubbed the medical concerns "speculative dynamics": "You're talking about a player who has played eight major-league seasons. There are things in his medical record that happened decades ago. These are all speculative dynamics.

"Every team has a right to go through things and evaluate things. The key thing is, we gave them [the Giants] medical reports at the time. They still wanted to sign the player and negotiate with the player."

Carlos Correa has agreed to instead join the New York Mets after confirmation of his deal with the San Francisco Giants was delayed.

The Giants looked to have secured their franchise shortstop with the signing of the former Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins star to a 13-year, $350million contract in free agency.

That agreement was set to be made public on Tuesday, only for the news conference to be postponed amid reports of a medical issue arising during Correa's physical.

It was suggested the deal would still be finalised, only for the Mets to swoop and agree terms with Correa that were reported early on Wednesday.

A slightly shorter 12-year, $315m contract – no longer tying Bryce Harper for the longest free-agent deal in MLB history – is to take Correa to New York, according to The New York Post.

"We need one more thing, and this is it," Mets owner Steve Cohen told the publication. "This was important. This puts us over the top. This is a good team. I hope it's a good team!"

It is said the Mets will use Correa at third base, with good friend Francisco Lindor continuing at shortstop.

This deal, like the pact with the Giants, is subject to a physical.

Correa has dealt with durability issues during his eight-year career, playing at least 150 games in a season just once.

He has made seven trips to the injured list since 2015, with a torn ligament in his thumb, lower back soreness and a fractured rib.

However, Correa played 58 games in the shortened 60-game season in 2020, followed by 148 in 2021 and 136 last season.

Carlos Correa’s megadeal with the San Francisco Giants is not a done deal just yet apparently.

The Giants postponed a press conference on Tuesday to introduce the star shortstop over a medical issue that arose during Correa’s physical, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation.

Correa and the Giants agreed last week to a 13-year, $350 million contract with a physical pending before the deal became official. One source told The Associated Press that the news conference was put on hold because the sides were awaiting results of testing, while a second person said a medical issue arose during Correa’s physical.

Correa, 28, has dealt with durability issues during his eight-year career, playing at least 150 games in a season just once.

He has made seven trips to the injured list since 2015, with a torn ligament in his thumb, lower back soreness and a fractured rib. Correa, however, played 58 games in the shortened 60-game season in 2020, followed by 148 contests in 2021 and 136 last season.

It remains to be seen whether the team simply wants to conduct further tests or if there is evidence of something that could lead to the deal being called off or even restructured.

Correa hit .291 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs last season for the Minnesota Twins after spending his first seven seasons with the Houston Astros.

He has a .279 career average with 155 home runs and 553 RBIs and has excelled in the postseason, batting .272 with 18 homers and 59 RBIs in 79 games.

Correa signed a $105.3 million, three-year deal with the Twins in March but opted out after one year and became a free agent again.

His deal with the Giants would be the fourth largest in baseball history in terms of total money. Only Mike Trout ($426.5 million, 12 years), Mookie Betts ($365 million, 12 years) and Aaron Judge ($360 million, nine years) have bigger contracts.

The Giants made a run at signing Judge and have been desperate to add a marquee player to a team that went 81-81 last season, a year after winning a franchise-record 107 games and the NL West.

The New York Yankees have added a key piece to their rotation by agreeing with left-handed free agent Carlos Rodon on a six-year, $162million contract.

The move bolsters the Yankees' starting rotation, which already had Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes and Luis Severino – along with a variety of other depth options.

Rodon, 30, was named an All-Star in each of the past two seasons and played last year for the San Francisco Giants. He opted out of his deal with the Giants – which would have paid him $22.5m in 2023 – and declined the $19.65m qualifying offer a few days later to become a free agent.

Rodon played seven seasons with the Chicago White Sox, the first six of which were marred by inconsistency and injury. Rodon broke out in 2021, his final year on the South Side.

Over the past two seasons with Chicago and San Francisco, Rodon has amassed a 27-13 record with a 2.67 ERA, averaging 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

Rodon has a career 3.60 ERA and 56-46 record in 147 starts.

The Yankees are hoping that Rodon can help them improve on a 2022 season that produced a 99-63 record and an American League East title, but ended in the ALCS against the Houston Astros.

With the exception of Rodon, the Yankees plan on fielding largely the same team that fell just short of the World Series last season, with most of this offseason’s attention going toward retaining AL MVP and home run champion Aaron Judge for nine years and $360m.

The San Francisco Giants have secured their franchise shortstop with the signing of former Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins star Carlos Correa to a 13-year, $350million contract in free agency.

Correa, 28, spent the first seven years of his career with the Astros, earning Rookie of the Year, two All-Star selections, a Platinum Glove and the 2017 World Series title.

He became a free agent prior to the 2022 season, signing a three-year, $105m deal with the Minnesota Twins, but exercised his right to opt out after just one year following a 78-84 campaign, missing the playoffs.

Correa was not to blame for the Twins' struggles, posting the second-best batting average of his career (.291) while playing his third-most games in a season (136), resulting in the largest shortstop contract in MLB history.

The Giants were considered the only side other than the New York Yankees with a realistic chance of landing reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge in free agency, but with his decision to return to New York, they had some money set aside to spend.

Likely joining Correa in San Francisco's opening day line-up will be former Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger, who inked a three-year, $43.5m free agent deal earlier in the process.

Mitch Haniger has been scooped up by the San Francisco Giants in free agency, signing a three-year, $43.5million contract as he bids farewell to the Seattle Mariners.

Haniger, who turns 32 later this month, finished fifth in the American League for home runs in the 2021 season, blasting a career-high 39 with 100 RBIs in 157 games.

He battled a series of injuries this year and could only suit up for 57 games – a recurring theme in his career, including a lengthy absence after a ruptured testicle in 2019 – but he got healthy just in time to help the Mariners reach their first postseason since 2001.

The Giants are also a leading candidate to land the top outfielder in this year's free agent market, Aaron Judge, and according to ESPN's Jeff Passan their decision to sign Haniger will have no impact on those negotiations.

Haniger hit 31 home runs in the 2022 season, batting at .246/.308/.737 across 224 at-bats for the Mariners, who ended their 21-year postseason drought.

The Texas Rangers have lured former San Francisco Giants skipper Bruce Bochy out of a brief retirement to take over as manager.

Bochy stepped away from managing after the 2019 season following a successful 13-year run in San Francisco in which he guided the Giants to three World Series titles between 2010 and 2014.

The 67-year-old previously spent 12 seasons as the San Diego Padres' manager from 1995-2006, a period that saw them make four postseason appearances and reached the World Series in 1998.

One of 12 managers to achieve 2,000 victories, Bochy sports an overall record of 2,003-2,029 in regular-season play and 44-33 in postseason games.

The 1996 National League Manager of the Year also has ties to Rangers general manager Chris Young, who pitched for the Padres during Bochy's final season there in 2006.

"In his 25 years with San Diego and San Francisco, Bruce was one of the most successful and respected managers in Major League Baseball," Young said in a statement.

"With a calm and steady presence, he has a remarkable ability to connect and communicate with players, coaches and staff, and his teams have always played with maximum effort. His knowledge of the game, as well as his integrity, is unmatched.

"As we went through the interview process, Bruce's passion and excitement about returning to the dugout was very evident. It became clear he was the ideal individual to lead our club as we continue to build a championship culture here in Arlington."

Bochy takes over a Texas team that has been mired in six straight losing seasons and failed to meet heightened expectations in 2022.

The Rangers were big spenders in free agency this past offseason, handing out big contracts to land ex-Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and former Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Marcus Semien, but finished second-last in the American League West at 68-94.

The Rangers fired manager Chris Woodward in August and went just 17-31 after third base coach Tony Beasley was promoted to interim manager.

The Detroit Tigers have hired San Francisco Giants general manager Scott Harris as their new president of baseball operations.

Harris has spent the past three seasons with the Giants, having previously been with the Chicago Cubs over seven years where he ascended to assistant general manager.

The Tigers have hired Harris to replace long-time general manager Al Avila who was fired in August.

Detroit had high ambitions for the 2022 season, having invested $230 million on Javier Baez, Eduardo Rodriguez and Andrew Chafin. Instead, the Tigers have the fourth-worst record (55-91) in the majors this season.

Tigers chairman and CEO Christopher Ilitch said: "Scott's vision for how to construct a baseball organization to compete and win in the modern game is impressive.

"His leadership ability is polished from both his experience as an executive at multiple levels and mentorship from some of the game's most talented baseball operations leaders. Scott is a difference maker, innovator and fiercely competitive, always looking for an edge."

The Chicago White Sox dominated with bat and ball on Thursday as they hammered the Oakland Athletics 14-2.

AL Cy Young Award co-favourite Dylan Cease was on the mound for the White Sox and was at his dominant best, keeping the Athletics scoreless through the first six innings as he racked up nine strikeouts while giving up just three hits and two walks.

His six shut-out innings lowered his ERA for the season to 2.06, trailing only Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander, but with Verlander currently out injured, Cease has now made four more starts, and could pull away in the race for the league's best pitcher if his rival cannot return soon.

On offense, it was clearly the best game in the season for White Sox third-baseman Yoan Moncada as he went five-for-six at the plate. He had home runs in each of his first two at-bats, before following them with a single, a double and another single, getting out for the first time in the ninth inning.

Second-baseman Romy Gonzalez also proved to be a tough out, with his first four at-bats resulting in two singles, a double and a home run on his way to finishing four-for-five at the dish.

Seby Zavala, Elvis Andrus, Jose Abreu and A.J. Pollock also finished with multiple hits as the White Sox racked up 21 as a team, while the Athletics could only muster six.

With the win, the White Sox are now one-and-a-half games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the lead in the AL Central.

Molina turns back the clock in Cardinals loss

Future Hall-of-Fame catcher Yadier Molina hit two home runs in the St Louis Cardinals' 11-6 home loss to the Washington Nationals – doubling his total for the season.

Molina only had two home runs from 219 at-bats heading into the contest, but went two-for-four at the plate, hooking two balls over the left-field wall.

But the Cardinals pitching staff could not keep the Nationals off the board, with six Washington players collecting at least two hits each, led by the ninth batter in their lineup, Alex Call. Call finished four-for-five at the plate, including a home run and a double as he drove in five runs.

Burnes burns the Giants

Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes had his way with the San Francisco Giants as he carried his side to a 2-1 victory in the first leg of Thursday's double-header.

Burnes pitched eight of the nine innings, allowing just three hits and no walks, while striking out 14 batters. It is the ninth time Burnes has struck out at least 10 batters in a game this season, and while it is a season-high, he finished one off his career-high of 15.

Back-to-back doubles in the fourth inning was the source of all Milwaukee's runs, with Christian Yelich bringing home Jace Peterson, before Yelich scored on a Hunter Renfroe hit.

Another day, another Aaron Judge home run as the New York Yankees slugger wasted no time extending his league-lead in Sunday's 2-1 win away from home against the Tampa Bay Rays.

As the very first batter of the game, on the second pitch, Judge connected on a 450-foot bomb deep over the left-field wall. 

It was his 53rd home run of the season – and his fourth from his past six games – setting a new career-high after totalling 52 in 2017. He is now eight home runs away from Roger Maris' Yankees record of 61 – set 61 years ago, in 1961.

The AL MVP favourite is also now 17 home runs clear of second-placed Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies, who has 36.

Judge's shot would be the only score from the first six innings against the Rays as Yankees starting pitcher Frankie Montas continued to find some form following a rough start to his time in New York since being traded at the deadline from the Oakland Athletics.

Montas pitched five near-perfect innings, giving up one hit and no walks to go with seven strikeouts.

The Yankees were able to add an insurance run in the seventh frame thanks to a sacrifice-fly from Oswaldo Cabrera, and although closing pitcher Clay Holmes did give up a run, he was able to complete the save for his 18th of the season.

With the win, the Yankees now hold a five-game lead over the Rays for the AL East lead, and they are six games behind the Houston Astros in the race for the best record in the American League.

Gallen extends historic scoreless streak

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen is in the midst of the eighth-longest scoreless streak in MLB history as he pitched another seven shutout innings in a 5-1 win against the Milwaukee Brewers.

It has been 41-and-a-third innings since Gallen has allowed a run, and in the process he has become the fourth pitcher in the modern era to pitch six consecutive games with at least six scoreless innings – joining Don Drysdale (Dodgers, 1968), Orel Hershiser (Dodgers, 1988) and Zack Greinke (Dodgers, 2015). With one more scoreless inning, he will break the Diamondbacks' franchise record.

The 27-year-old now sports an 11-2 record this season with a 2.42 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP, establishing himself as one of the top arms in the league.

Giants walk-off after duelling home runs late

The San Francisco Giants treated their fans to one of the most enjoyable spectacles in sport as they ended their 5-3 win against the Philadelphia Phillies with a walk-off home run.

With the Giants leading 3-0 in the eighth inning – thanks in large part to a terrific 10-strikeout performance from ace Carlos Rodon – Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto erased the deficit with one swing as he connected on a three-run home run.

Needing a run in the bottom of the ninth to win, after Bryce Johnson got on base, Wilmer Flores was the hero for the night as he launched the game-winner hard and flat over the left-field wall to send the fans home happy.

Major League Baseball will venture into Mexico City for the first time in 2023 after announcing on Wednesday the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants will play a two-game series in the capital city in April.

The series will take place from April 29-30 at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu, home of the Mexican League's Diablos Rojos, with the Padres serving as the home team.

The 20,000-seater venue was funded by and named after Alfredo Harp Helu, a minority owner of the Padres.

MLB has staged regular-season games in Mexico previously, most recently in 2019, but all have taken place in Monterrey.

The Padres were involved in the first series in Mexico back in 1996 and also hosted a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Monterrey in 2018.

"The Padres are excited to return to Mexico and play in the first regular-season series in Mexico City in MLB history," Padres CEO Erik Greupner said in a statement.

"We are fortunate to have a loyal and passionate fan base in Mexico, and it will be an honour to showcase our team in Mexico's capital city."

The Padres did participate in the opening of Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu in 2019 by facing the Diablos Rojos in an exhibition game in March of that year.

The Giants will be playing an international series for the first time in franchise history, though San Francisco did travel outside the continental United States for a three-game series with the Montreal Expos in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2004.

"It will be an honour to represent Major League Baseball, as well as San Francisco, at historic Mexico City for the first time ever," Giants president and CEO Larry Baer said.

"We look forward to bringing the Giants and Padres rivalry to a passionate sports fanbase, and it will be a great opportunity to introduce the Giants to an international audience to further develop new fans across all of Mexico."

The most recent MLB regular-season games played internationally came in 2019, when the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox held a two-game series in London.

The Padres had a two-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks scheduled in Mexico City in April 2020, though those games were cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic.

MLB is also set to hold a two-game series between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals in London from June 24-25.