Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos pokes fun at New York Mets: "When Carlos Correa ends up a Minnesota Twin, I am pumped"
The Atlanta Braves were never in on the free agent bidding for shortstop Carlos Correa. But that didn't mean they wanted him to join a division rival.
Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos recently shared his thoughts on the Correa sweepstakes. He admitted that he was relieved when the star shortstop re-signed with the Minnesota Twins. He'd rather Correa stay in the American League than join their National League East rival, the New York Mets.
"We follow. We monitor. So when Carlos Correa ends up a Minnesota Twin, I am pumped," Anthopoulos told Braves fans during an on-stage interview. "I don't want to see other teams getting great players."
"We follow. We monitor. So when Carlos Correa ends up a Minnesota Twin, I am pumped." 😅 https://t.co/aBBObuC4D3
When Carlos Correa ends up a Minnesota Twin, I am pumped. - Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos
When he said "other teams," the Braves GM was referring to the Mets and another National League rival, the San Francisco Giants.
Both teams were in play for Carlos Correa this offseason after the shortstop opted out of a three-year contract with the Twins. Both the Giants and the Mets agreed to massive long-term deals with Correa. But both deals fell apart due to concerns with his physical.
Eventually, Correa returned to the Twins on a six-year, $200 million contract with vesting options for 2029, 2030, 2031, and 2032.
Atlanta Braves never pursued Carlos Correa
The Atlanta Braves lost their own star shortstop this winter. Dansby Swanson signed a multi-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. Atlanta never considered Carlos Correa as an option. Instead, they have penciled in rookie Vaughn Grissom as their starting shortstop for next season.
"People ask you to react when they see other teams do stuff," Anthopoulos said. "We can't react. We can't run a team that way."
Rather than chasing superstars who demand massive contracts, Anthopoulos has made a point of acquiring and developing young talent. He will then lock them up for long-term, team-friendly deals that are well below market value.
Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Spencer Strider form much of the Atlanta Braves' foundation. They are signed with the team through most of the decade, and in some cases, beyond.
Swanson walked away from the team in pursuit of a big payday. It remains to be seen whether staff ace Max Fried will do so when he is a free agent following the 2023 season.