(670 The Score) The Cubs’ pursuit of star shortstop Carlos Correa in free agency this past offseason was in no way affected by Correa switching representation, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Wednesday in refuting a previous report from Stephen Nelson of MLB Network.
The Cubs made Correa a “huge offer” this past offseason, Nelson said on 670 The Score in early April, but their progress was stalled because of “some representation issues.” Correa ended up joining the Twins on a three-year, $105-million deal that includes opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.
“It’s a slippery slope and I don’t like commenting on stuff like this, but I can tell you that that’s not accurate,” Hoyer said on the Parkins & Spiegel Show. “There was nothing that changed based on the agent changing.”
In January, news surfaced that Correa had switched agencies, leaving William Morris Endeavor and turning to the powerful Scott Boras as his representation.
In March before Correa joined the Twins, ESPN reporter Buster Olney noted that had Correa signed a long-term deal, his previous agency could claim the majority of the money paid to the representation in the deal. If Correa hits free agency again next offseason, Boras would get all of the agent financial benefit on the new deal.
Because Correa’s deal includes opt-outs, speculation has persisted that he could hit the open market again next winter.
Correa, 27, is hitting .255 with two homers, 11 RBIs and an .832 OPS in 24 games for Minnesota this season. The Twins currently sit in first place in the AL Central.
Hoyer didn’t further address Correa but did speak generally to the expectations of the Cubs pursuing stars in free agency.
“Cubs fans should be impatient,” Hoyer said. “I think when we got here in the fall of 2011, there was a lot of patience. And I think patience because every 13 years or so, the Cubs made the playoffs. I think they felt like, ‘Hey, if you guys can promise you’re going to build something really special, then we’re willing to wait and we’re OK if you guys are at the bottom of the barrel for a couple years.’ And that’s totally changed. The success that we had from ’15 to 2020, that changed our fan base. And I think that’s fantastic. I think in some ways, that might be the best accomplishment that Theo (Epstein) can kind of put on his resume, that we were able to do that.”
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