Why is Carlos Correa having so much trouble finalizing an MLB contract?
With reports that Carlos Correa has resumed talks with at least one other team, his immense deals with the Giants and Mets have come crashing down.
Carlos Correa is one of the best shortstops in baseball. Love him or hate him, and boy do a lot of fans hate him, you can’t escape the fact that very few can do what he does in the middle infield.
One of the key players to enter free agency this off-season, Correa had a 13-year, $350 million deal on the hook before health concerns scuppered the deal. Correa’s agent Scott Boras jumped into action and within days had a 12-year, $315 million offer from the Mets.
With the stalling of those talks two weeks ago, reportedly due to the same health concerns, the Boras machine has leapt back into action, renewing contact with at least one other team.
The health concern seems to center around his surgically rebuilt right fibula, with teams seeing things in his physical which have given them concern. Medical information being privileged, it is impossible to know the exact details, but the fact that all of his success in the Show; from Rookie of the Year in 2015, to World Series champion, to two-time All Star and Platinum Glove winner; happened after the ankle surgery in 2014 would seem to indicate that something new has cropped up.
Of course, teams are aware of this and nobody is doubting Correa’s talent. It would appear to be the length of time on offer that is the largest stumbling block to getting a contract signed. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman says that while the Mets are confident that Correa will still be theirs, Steve Cohen is now looking to modify his original offer to diminish risk.
Likely to be about just how many of those dollars are guaranteed and for how long, the Mets may be looking to move “some part of the $315M deal” to a status “less than fully guaranteed.”
With both parties still negotiating, Scott Boras has opened up communication with other teams, including the Minnesota Twins if reports are to be believed.
Correa could still get all of the money that the original deal promised as long as that right ankle stays healthy, but Carlos is said to be uninterested in any type of restructure at all. His intransigence is what eventually led to the breakdown of that massive Giants deal.
Any team in baseball would be over the moon to have Carlos Correa in their lineup, and if this medical concern is expected to be set aside to get the papers signed, then he will likely need to give some ground somewhere. In the end, he may choose to go for a shorter, high-value deal. But the Mets are clear on one thing: Correa is definitely worth the stretch.
Steve Cohen is effusive when he discusses Carlos, and rightly so. As a 28-year-old, two-time All Star with over 128 OPS in the last three seasons, Correa is an elite player. Leg injury or no, he is worth the money, and then some.