(670 The Score) There’s now just one star shortstop left for the Cubs to pursue in free agency.
Two-time All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa has agreed to a 13-year, $350-million deal with the Giants, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported late Tuesday night. The seismic addition that will help the Giants compete with the star-laden Dodgers and Padres in the NL West also leaves the Cubs with just one star shortstop to target in free agency – Dansby Swanson.
Coming off a 74-88 season in 2022, the Cubs had long been tied to Correa in the rumor mill, but doubts also emerged in recent weeks about whether they were willing to extend the type of offer that it would take to land him. At the Winter Meetings last week, a pair of star shortstops joined new teams as Trea Turner landed a $300-million deal with the Phillies and Xander Bogaerts signed a $280-million contract with the Padres.
Correa, 28, played his first seven MLB seasons for the Astros before joining the Twins on a three-year, $105-million deal ahead of the 2022 season. Correa hit .291 with 22 homers, 64 RBIs and an .836 OPS in 136 games for Minnesota this past season before opting out of his contract to hit the open market for a second straight winter.
For his career, Correa is a .279 hitter with a .357 on-base percentage, an .836 OPS and a 129 OPS+. He had injury concerns earlier in his career but has been more durable lately, playing 148 games in 2021 and 136 this past season.
Now, the Cubs’ sole focus will turn to Swanson, the 28-year-old who’s coming off his first All-Star season. Swanson hit .277 with 25 homers, 96 RBIs and a .776 OPS while playing all 162 games for the Braves this past season. His 6.4 WAR in 2022 was the second-most among MLB shortstops, according to FanGraphs, trailing only the Mets’ Francisco Lindor.
Swanson has been remarkably durable in recent years, missing just two games across the past three seasons. He too has received plenty of interest across the MLB landscape, which will only ramp up the pressure on the Cubs to close the deal with him.
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