Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Updated Post – Dec 22, 11:10
Scott Boras told reporters on Thursday that Carlos Correa will take his physical with the Mets today. “There is no current issue with Carlos’ health whatsoever,” Boras said. Boras expects results from Correa’s physical within 24 to 48 hours, and the deal to become official after that.
Correa agreed to sign a 12-year, $315 million deal with the Mets after his 13-year, $350 million deal with the Giants fell apart because San Francisco was concerned about an old injury that popped up in the review of medical reports.
Original Post – Dec. 21, 2:53
In a sudden plot twist, the Mets have reportedly signed star free agent shortstop Carlos Correa to a 12-year, $315 million deal, Jon Heyman of New York Post reported late Tuesday night. The deal is pending a medical. Susan Slusser of SF Chronicle confirmed Heyman’s report.
The Mets were heavily tied to Correa just hours before he was reported to sign a 13-year contract with the Giants a week ago. However, his press conference that was originally scheduled for earlier Tuesday was postponed, leaving his status questionable. Even after the Mets (at the time) lost out on Correa, owner Steve Cohen publicly expressed his willingness to go all out and spend big on the best free agents.
Heyman followed up by reporting that Correa’s camp and the Giants had a “difference of opinion” on the medical.
“This really makes a big difference,” Cohen told the NY Post. “I felt like our pitching was in good shape. We needed one more hitter. This puts us over the top.”
Correa’s massive contract becomes slightly less massive with this new deal, with one year and $35 million less than he was supposed to get with the Giants. It’ll still take the 28-year-old to his age-40 season. Correa’s previous deal would have been the fourth-largest money guarantee in MLB history, and most ever for a shortstop.
Correa owns a .279/.357/.479 batting line in his career, with which he spent the first seven years on the Astros and the eighth with the Twins. He posted a 140 wRC+ and 4.4 fWAR last year. Put simply, he’s been one of the consistently best shortstops in the game since he debuted in 2015. He’ll now join a star-studded infield with Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil, likely slotting in at third base with Lindor already manning short. Lindor and Correa previously played together for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
The deal gives the Mets a payroll of over $380 million, with a winter that’s included a handful of major splashes. Cohen isn’t messing around.
