He really can’t catch a break, can he? In another shocking twist, All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa is HEADING BACK to the Minnesota Twins on a 6-year, $200M deal as his 12-year, $315M deal with the Mets and 13-year, $350M deal with the Giants both broke down.
Am I missing something or is the same Carlos Correa who has been playing in the MLB for the past 8 years?
How has a player who has not only a 2X All-Star (2017, 2021), AL Rookie of the Year (2015) Golden Glove Winner (2021), and Platinum Glove Winner (2021) in one of the most talented positions across the league (short stop), but also a World Series winner (2017) been deemed “too risky” to sign by two MLB teams now?
The Mets and the Giants do realize that Correa was one of the best all-round shortstops in the league last season with 22 HRs, 70 runs, 64 RBIs, a .291 batting average, 157 PO, 307 A, and only 8 errors, right? Or is there something else we are all missing?
By the stats I just laid out and the career accomplishments, Carlos Correa should have been picked up by either the Giants or the Mets on that 12-13, $315-$330M deal by now, not forced to languish in limbo for his former team to offer a contract half the term and nearly a third of the value in early January. Plus, seeing how Mets owner Steve Cohen has been more than willing to dish out literally anything to even the most fringe players, it’s baffling that he and the Mets couldn’t get this deal done.
That is unless there is a severe injury concern none of us know about with Correa.
From my limited research and recollection of Correa’s injury history, the only major issues I could only find/remember was a lower back issue he had treatment for during the 2019 season when he was a member of the Houston Astros, a finger injury that kept him on the injury list for a few days this season with the Twins, a battle with COVID-19 this past year as well, and a right fibula fracture he suffered in High-A prior to coming into the league.
Now, from what I gathered, it seems like the reason why both the Giants and Mets pulled out of their, respective, deals were due to that fibula break, but I really can’t wrap my head around that. Not only did this injury occur nearly a decade ago, but Correa has already shown he’s a Golden Glove, All-Star, and World Series-winning shortstop in the time between that injury and now.
Do both of these teams really think his leg will give out on him in the next 5-7 years? As, if we are being honest, that’s the maximum amount of time the Giants and Mets could have been expecting Correa to perform at his All-Star level.
These 13-year, $300M+ deals are never signed with the thought that the player will honor the entirety of the deal at his current standard of play as that is not only ludicrous to believe of a 41-year-old (the age Correa would be after the 13 years), but also on par with every other baseball player with a similar deal. I mean, does anyone think that Xander Bogaerts is going to be a Golden Glove-caliber shortstop at 41, Dansbury Swanson at 35 with the Cubs, or Trea Turner at 40 for the Phillies?
No, of course not! And that’s why I can’t fathom why the Mets or Giants would let such a talented player slip from their grasp.
Though, on the other hand, this is great business from the Twins. They got to keep their Golden Glove-caliber shortstop for another 6 years at nearly a third of the price he was going to be paid.
Hopefully, this is the end of the Carlos Correa saga.
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