AL Central

The Minnesota Twins announced Tuesday that they placed shortstop Carlos Correa on the 10-day injured list with a right middle finger contusion.

The stint on the IL is retroactive to May 6. Correa suffered the injury by fouling a ball off his hand during a May 5 game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Correa, a two-time All-Star and 2015 American League Rookie of the Year, is hitting .255 (.693 OPS) with two home runs and 11 RBI in his first year with Minnesota. The shortstop signed a three-year, $105.3 million contract with the Twins this offseason.

Correa spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Houston Astros. He hit .279 (.850 OPS) with 26 home runs and 92 RBI in 2021. Thanks in part to his efforts, the 95-67 Astros won the AL pennant.

Correa was an instrumental part of the Astros' success since 2017, which has included five playoff appearances, three American League pennants and a World Series title.

Without Correa, the Twins have turned to Royce Lewis at shortstop.

It turns out Lin-Manuel Miranda isn't the only talented person in his family.

The Hamilton playwright's cousin, Jose Miranda, made his MLB debut Monday with the Minnesota Twins, leading to a shoutout from Lin-Manuel:

I got a cousin in the Major Leagues! Felicidades Primo! All the Mirandas are cheering! -LMM https://t.co/jCs29QpFNH

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) May 3, 2022

Jose Miranda is the No. 3 prospect in the Twins organization and the No. 93 overall prospect in baseball. He's coming off a brilliant 2021 campaign that saw him hit 344/.401/.572 with 30 home runs and 94 RBI in the minors and earn the Twins' Minor League Player of the Year honors.

"I'm trying to stay calm, let the game come to me and play hard," Miranda said. "The team is playing really well right now, so it's a good moment to be here."

Miranda went 0-for-4 in his MLB debut, batting sixth in the order and playing third base. The Twins will likely use him in a utility role at third, second and first base.

The Chicago White Sox placed star pitcher Lucas Giolito on the injured list Saturday, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Per ESPN 1000 in Chicago, White Sox manager Tony La Russa said Giolito will land on the IL with an abdominal injury and miss at least two starts.

The White Sox announced Friday that Giolito had to leave his start against the Detroit Tigers early because of left abdominal tightness.

Giolito made it through just four innings of Friday's start, leaving the game with Chicago leading 3-0.

The 27-year-old ace was locked in, allowing just one hit and two walks, while striking out six. Things went south for the White Sox after he exited, however, and they lost the game 5-4.

Since struggling early in his career, including posting a 6.13 ERA in 2018, Giolito has developed into one of the top starting pitchers in Major League Baseball.

Giolito has finished 11th or better in the American League Cy Young award voting in each of the past three seasons, including a career-best sixth in 2019, which was also when he received his first and only All-Star nod.

He set career highs with 14 wins and 228 strikeouts that season, while also posting a 3.41 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.

After being limited to just 12 starts in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Giolito was strong again last season, going 11-9 with a 3.53 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 201 strikeouts in 178.2 innings pitched for a White Sox team that won the AL Central.

While the White Sox have the entire season ahead of them, Giolito's injury comes at a less-than-ideal time given that Lance Lynn underwent knee surgery this week that is expected to keep him out for four weeks.

With both Lynn and Giolito out, Chicago will have to lean heavily on Dylan Cease as its ace, and it will also need plenty out of the supremely talented Michael Kopech, who spent last season in the bullpen.

Dallas Keuchel and Vince Velasquez will be asked to step up as well, plus the White Sox recently signed veteran Johnny Cueto, who they may try to get to the majors quickly after getting him ready in the minors.

La Russa will also have to lean on a stacked lineup led by Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, Tim Anderson and Luis Robert to produce plenty of offense.

Free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa has agreed to a three-year, $105.3 million contract with the Minnesota Twins, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston reported the deal includes opt-out opportunities after each of the first two years.

In the end, Scott Boras and Carlos Correa got the perfect contract:$35M a year for 3, but FA agent again at 28 or 29. while Twins get a star at a position where they had no apparent regular.

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) March 19, 2022

One of the concepts that Carlos Correa's camp ran past the Astros was a short-term contract for $40m annually, with opt-outs throughout... For the Twins: They get a great player to start the year, and if they struggle, a very tradable piece for midseason.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 19, 2022

The news comes after Correa declined a one-year, $18.4 million qualifying offer from the Houston Astros. He also turned down a five-year, $160 million deal from the franchise, per Berman.

The 27-year-old had spent his entire seven-year career in Houston and became a free agent for the first time this offseason. He was one of the top free-agent shortstops on the market, joining Trevor Story, Corey Seager, Javier Baez and Marcus Semien. 

Correa had a great 2021 season, hitting .279/.366/.485 with a career-high 26 home runs along with 92 RBI, earning his second All-Star selection and first Gold Glove. He's hit .277/.356/.481 across seven seasons with the Astros.  

Correa also received interest from the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners, among others, this winter.

With the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year off the market, Story is the most high-profile shortstop still available.

Houston could also play Aledmys Diaz at shortstop, and prospect Jeremy Pena might be ready for the majors come 2022, as The Athletic's Jake Kaplan noted.

The Astros, who went 95-67 last season and reached the World Series for the third time in the last five seasons, might also shift their focus to the pitching staff.

For the Twins, meanwhile, Correa will take on a key role within a lineup that also features Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco. They also acquired catcher Gary Sanchez and third baseman Gio Urshela from the Yankees.

Minnesota kicks off the regular season on April 7 when it hosts the Seattle Mariners.

The Detroit Tigers are reportedly no longer an option for free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa despite their interest earlier in the offseason, according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic. 

ESPN's Buster Olney previously reported that Correa turned down a 10-year, $275 million offer from the Tigers. The team instead signed Javier Baez to a six-year, $140 million deal, which will likely end the pursuit of Correa. 

"The Tigers' baseball people would love to circle back and acquire Correa to play alongside Baez, but owner Chris Ilitch doesn’t want another contract of that magnitude on the books, according to a source," Bowden reported.

Baez has played second and third base at times in his career, but he appears likely to man shortstop for Detroit.

Correa will still draw plenty of interest after a year in which he finished fifth in the AL MVP voting. The 27-year-old hit .279 and posted 26 home runs, 92 RBI and 104 runs to go with a Gold Glove award at shortstop.

The two-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year also has tons of postseason experience with the Houston Astros, hitting 18 home runs across 79 games. He's been to the World Series three times, winning one.

He can put a team over the top as a contender, with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs all linked to the shortstop, per Bowden. 

A return to the Astros is also possible, although Correa would reportedly have to settle for a shorter contract.

The challenge could be finding a team willing to spend big after the new collective bargaining agreement is signed. MLB has focused on keeping a low competitive balance tax line, which could affect spending once the lockout ends.      

The Chicago White Sox are doing what they can to protect the players and employees within their organization.

"The Chicago White Sox are requiring all of our employees to be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination status, and this requirement extends to our minor-league players as well," the team said in a statement, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. "We believe this is the right thing to do to protect the health and well being of all our players and staff across the organization."

Passan noted this means all minor-league players must have their booster vaccines before spring training even though Major League Baseball is not requiring minor-league players to be vaccinated at large.

Passan provided more context to the situation:       

This is not the first time the White Sox have mandated covid vaccines for minor league players. Last spring, they did so and had 100% compliance, according to sources.

There are currently multiple unvaccinated players in their system. Whether they’ll get vaccinated is unclear.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 12, 2022

That the White Sox are taking proper precautions isn't a surprise considering they reached the 85 percent vaccination threshold at the major-league level in May of last season, per Lamond Pope of the Chicago Tribune.

Reaching that threshold meant fewer restrictions for players when it came to things like mask wearing and eating at restaurants when they were on the road.

"We all are being smart," shortstop Tim Anderson said at the time. "Just do what makes sense."

As for baseball as a whole, there is still a lockout as the league and the players' association attempt to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. There was a delay at the start of the 2020 campaign as the two sides ironed things out related to a number of issues, including health and safety protocols while playing during a pandemic.

The White Sox are taking matters in their own hands with this decision.

Chicago has four minor league teams in its system: the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, Double-A Birmingham Barons, A-Advanced Winston-Salem Dash and the Single-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.                

Cuban sensation Oscar Colas will bring his rare blend of talents to the Chicago White Sox after the two sides agreed to a deal on Tuesday.

The White Sox announced they agreed to a deal with Colas that includes a $2.7 million signing bonus.

James Fegan of The Athletic reported Colas is expected to join the minor leagues once his visa clears.

Francys Romero of Las Mayores was the first to report Colas was defecting from Cuba. 

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported in January 2020 that Colas was seeking a deal from a Major League Baseball team. 

Because of the process of establishing residence in a third country and getting cleared by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, it wasn't clear how long Colas would have to wait before MLB gave him the necessary approval to sign a deal. 

Scouting reports suggest Colas, who played in the outfield in Japan in 2019 and can also pitch, has the tools to be the most dynamic international prospect since Shohei Ohtani, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels in Dec. 2017. 

One scout who has seen Colás believes he’s going to stick at outfield, while another says his arm is good enough for him to play a two-way role. Either way, Colás, whose leaving Cuba was first reported by @FrancysRomero, is expected to garner significant interest across baseball.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 3, 2020

MLB.com had Colas ranked as the No. 5 international free agent, adding he was nicknamed "Cuban Ohtani" before he gave up pitching.  

Colas hit .300/.353/.511 with 12 homers and 48 RBI in 73 games with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 2019. He didn't pitch with the team, so it will be on the Sox to decide if they want to try him back on the mound. 

If Colas goes back to being a two-way player, it could delay his MLB arrival given the likely development he will need in the minors to build up his arm strength. 

Regardless of what path Colas takes, the White Sox have added one of the best young prospects in baseball to their farm system.

One reason the White Sox have elevated themselves as one of the best teams in the American League is their willingness to be aggressive on the international free-agent market. 

Jose Abreu and Luis Robert are two of Chicago's best players. The organization signed them after they defected from Cuba. 

Colas has tremendous potential and is only 23 years old. He will likely need some time to develop in the minors, but his natural talent and ceiling are so significant that he could force himself onto Chicago's 26-man roster soon. 

Detroit Tigers first base coach Kimera Bartee died Monday at the age of 49, the team announced Tuesday.

Bartee's cause of death is unknown, and the Tigers weren't aware of any illness, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.

A statement from Tigers EVP/GM Al Avila: pic.twitter.com/4sy6TjnOZs

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) December 21, 2021

According to Petzold, Bartee collapsed while visiting his father in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Bartee spent four seasons as an outfielder with the Tigers from 1996-99, slashing .227/.289/.312 with four home runs and 32 RBI in 220 games. He also played one season each with the Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies at the end of his playing career. 

The Nebraska native began his coaching career with the Baltimore Orioles in 2004 and remained with the franchise through 2007 before joining the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2008-19. He served as Pittsburgh's minor-league baserunning and outfield coordinator for nine seasons before serving as first base coach from 2017-19. 

Bartee then served as the Philadelphia Phillies' minor-league baserunning and bunting coordinator in 2020 before joining the Tigers as the franchise's baserunning and outfield coordinator in 2021. 

Bartee was elevated to first base coach in July after Chip Hale was hired as the University of Arizona's head coach. Tigers head coach A.J. Hinch decided in November to keep him on for the 2022 season. 

Hinch and Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter spoke about Bartee on Twitter:

Words cannot describe my sadness. What we lost in baseball as a players’ coach and mentor with consistent positivity pales in comparison to what his family lost as a fiancée, father, and son. Rest In Peace, KB. 🙏🏻 https://t.co/VeZ7384H0I

— AJ Hinch (@ajhinch) December 21, 2021

A statement from Tigers Manager A.J. Hinch: pic.twitter.com/92IgzQKQWr

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) December 21, 2021

https://twitter.com/ChrisFetter41/status/1473349149185740802

Bartee is survived by his father, Jerry Bartee, and three children. 

Andres Melendez, a minor league catcher for the Cleveland Guardians, died on Thursday at the age of 20. 

The team issued a statement about Melendez's death:

R.I.P. Andrés Meléndez. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones, teammates and those who knew him. pic.twitter.com/ehyrF7C7df

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) December 17, 2021

No cause of death has been given at this time.

Right-handed pitcher Josh Wolf, who played with Melendez for the Lynchburg Hillcats last season, tweeted out a message in memory of his teammate:

I never thought I would be saying these words but RIP mi hermano. Anyone who knew or played with Andres saw the joy he brought everyday. He was always bringing positive energy to the field and locker room. He was a fantastic teammate and an even better person. Love you Andres. pic.twitter.com/bN1YpCtXU5

— Josh Wolf (@JoshWolf30) December 17, 2021

Melendez began his professional baseball career in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He signed with the team as an international free agent in July 2017. The Venezuelan played 80 games with Milwaukee's rookie ball affiliates from 2018-19. 

Cleveland acquired Melendez on Nov. 20, 2019 for second baseman Mark Mathias. 

In 73 games with Cleveland's Low-A East affiliate last season, Melendez posted a .247/.367/.431 slash line with eight homers and 46 RBI.    

The Detroit Tigers offered star shortstop Carlos Correa a 10-year, $275 million contract this offseason, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. 

However, it's unclear if the offer is still on the table as the Tigers have already signed Javier Baez (six years, $140 million) and Eduardo Rodriguez (five years, $77 million) this winter. 

Correa had been heavily linked to the Tigers due to his relationship with former Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who managed him for his first five seasons (2015 to '19).

It's important to note the deal Detroit offered Correa is $66 million less than what Francisco Lindor (10 years, $341 million) received from the New York Mets and $50 million less than what Corey Seager (10 years, $325 million) received from the Texas Rangers. 

Considering those numbers, it's reasonable to believe Correa is looking for more than $275 million on his next deal. 

In addition to the Tigers, Correa has been linked to several teams this winter, including the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. Astros fans are holding onto hope that the team will re-sign him as well.

However, Houston reportedly offered Correa five years and $160 million before free agency. Olney reports that Astros owner Jim Crane has told his colleagues he won’t make the star shortstop an offer of more than six years, which reinforces the thoughts that Correa will sign elsewhere when the lockout ends. 

Correa is certainly deserving of a major contract. The 27-year-old had one of the best seasons of his career in 2021, slashing .279/.366/.485 with 26 home runs and 92 RBI. He also received his first Gold Glove award last season, further highlighting his success both at the plate and in the field.