Will Carlos Correa ever put pen to paper? Who knows, but the drama of MLB free agency is fun.
Carlos Correa was a San Francisco Giant, until he actually wasn’t. Then he was a New York Met, until he actually wasn’t, but maybe still will be?
If you’ve missed it, concerns over a pre-existing injury with Correa caused a hang-up with the Giants that allowed the Mets to swoop in and get him. Correa was dressed for his introductory presser with the Giants upon finding out about the hang-up.
But now, a similar hang-up exists preventing him and the Mets from making it official, leaving space for other teams to get in on the action.
Multiple teams might be checking with Carlos Correa’s agent, Scott Boras
According to Jon Heyman and Greg Joyce of the New York Post, there is at least one other team that has been in touch with Correa’s agent, Scott Boras, in the midst of the breakdown with the Mets and Correa.
The Post notes that the Twins have had contact with Boras (and it looks like they could be generating some momentum), but that they are not the only team reaching out to inquire about his availability. Last offseason, Correa signed a short-term deal with the Twins and then opted out of the second year of that deal to test free agency.
A $315-million, 12-year deal is on the table (but according to recent rumors, major changes are being made to that contract), but the Mets want to protect their investment with assurances over his long-term availability.
Here’s an excerpt from the Post article:
“The latest word was that while the main terms — the $315 million over the 12 years — may be unlikely to change much, if at all, the Mets have made clear they are intent on diminishing their risk via important language additions and/or alterations, according to sources familiar with the talks. The Mets are concerned about the lower leg due to an injury when Correa was in the minors, and subsequent operation performed in 2014. While he has missed no days in the majors related to that incident, and according to Boras received no related treatment either, like the Giants before them Mets doctors have raised concerns about how the leg will hold up over a contract that would extend until he’s 40 years old.”
The Giants contract he moved on from to head on over to the Mets had a higher total value and a strong AAV than the Mets contract ($26.9 million vs $26.25 with the Mets). It’s unclear if that deal with San Francisco, or a similar one, might still be on the table, and if not, what kinds of offers he’s getting from other teams.
No doubt, now that two medical teams independent of one another have raised concerns about the same injury with Correa, it’ll probably bias others who look into the situation as well.
At this point, Correa’s best deal might be to concede to what the Mets want or pursue another short-term deal similar to the one he just opted out of in Minnesota.