Shortstop Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins have reached an agreement over a three-year, $105.3-million contract, according to ESPN. He has the option to opt out of the deal after the first two seasons.

Correa and the Houston Astros reached the World Series last season, which was the best-performing campaign in his career on every front. He has played 148 games for the team, the most since 2016, with career-high wins above replacement (WAR) of 7.2, which was the third-best in the American League (AL). Correa also hit 92 runs batted ins (RBIs) and 26 home runs with a batting average (BA) of .279 to score 104 runs for the Astros.

Correa was named the All-Star Game, won his first Gold Glove award at shortstop and finished fifth in AL MVP voting.

"If your best player is not a good leader, they can take you down the wrong road. Carlos is in the great category," Astros manager Dusty Baker said of Correa during the 2021 playoffs.

Having rejected the team's qualifying offer of $18.4 million, Correa joined the Twins, where he can make the best upgrade of the team's shortstop defense. The Astros will receive a compensatory draft pick for his departure.

Another free agent, outfielder Nick Castellanos, reached a juicy deal as well after agreeing to a five-year, $100-million contract offered by the Philadelphia Phillies, reported ESPN.

Having played 138 games for the Cincinnati Reds last season, Castellanos ranked fourth in National League (NL) batting race (.309), seventh in homers (34), ninth in runs he drove (100), third in slugging (.576) and fourth in on-base plus slugging (OPS .939). His WAR of 3.2 was also career high.

Castellanos became a starter for the NL in All-Star Game, won a Silver Slugger award and was 12th in the NL MVP voting.

The Reds (83-79) failed to reach the playoffs. Castellanos opted out the last two years of his deal, which were worth $34 million, before rejecting the qualifying offer of $18.4 million to become a free agent.

One interesting fact was that the NL reigning MVP Bryce Harper of the Phillies said it would be a "downer" if his team didn't sign Castellanos or one of two other prominent free-agent sluggers four days before the agreement was reached.

"Nicky, I really enjoy him as a player, a good left fielder," Harper said. "He'd be a great middle-of-the-order bat for us."

Dave Dombrowski, president of the Phillies, said last Sunday that he won't have any limitations on investing to enhance the franchise.

The Reds will get a compensatory pick for the 2022 MBL Draft after the first round.