At 2:38 AM on Wednesday, December 21, Jon Heyman of the New York Post revealed on Twitter that the Mets and esteemed infielder Carlos Correa had reached an agreement on a blockbuster 12-year contract worth $315 million. When most fans woke up the next morning, this news sent shockwaves around the entire league as Correa was seemingly destined to be a member of the San Francisco Giants. So how exactly did this sudden change happen?
Initially, the San Francisco Giants and Carlos Correa had agreed to a 13-year contract worth $350 million, and they quickly scheduled a press conference for a few days later. However, the two sides were forced to cancel this press conference as the team doctors were engaged in a dispute over Correa’s medical history. Consequently, Correa’s agent Scott Boras gave the Giants extra time to make a decision regarding their willingness to sign him, according to Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated.
After the Giants stated that they were not ready to go through with the letter of agreement, which would end any negotiations with other teams, Boras quickly capitalized on this opportunity for his client by contacting the Mets and the Twins, who ultimately backed out due to their unwillingness to increase their initial offer of 10 years and $285 million.
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This is where Mets owner Steve Cohen comes in. When the news initially broke out that Carlos Correa had reached an agreement with the Giants, Cohen provided commentary regarding his disappointment in missing out on the talented infielder. As a result, this shocking news came at the perfect time for Cohen, who was reportedly in Hawaii at the time, to reenter the Correa sweepstakes. According to an article in The Athletic, Boras texted Cohen upon hearing this news, stating, “Correa-has may have come early!” Following this, the two sides negotiated late into the night until they finally reached an agreement on the aforementioned blockbuster contract.
As for the intricate details surrounding the negotiations, they can be best summarized by a quote from Scott Boras that was featured in an article by Joel Sherman of the New York Post: “Cohen was in Hawaii. I was up late in SF negotiating with a number of teams. Others went to bed. Steve was having dinner and a martini. I asked if he had 3 olives for a great 3B.” Here, Boras alludes to the idea that Correa is willing to move away from his primary position of shortstop in order to play alongside Francisco Lindor.
Also, it demonstrates Cohen’s continued commitment to spending money to improve the quality of the team. As of now, Cohen is destined to pay a luxury tax penalty of over $100 million. To put this exorbitant number into perspective, it is higher than the payroll of some of the lower-market teams in the MLB such as the Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles.
In an article written by Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Cohen was quoted saying “We needed one more thing, and this is it.”
