(Audacy) New York Mets owner Steve Cohen has made waves with his aggressive spending this offseason, and he may not be done just yet.
The Mets are showing interest in star shortstop Carlos Correa in free agency, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday evening. Correa would most likely be an option to play third base for the Mets with Francisco Lindor remaining at shortstop.
Correa, 28, is a two-time All-Star who 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.
Correa is expected to receive a large, long-term contract this offseason which will likely land him somewhere near the $300 million mark after fellow star shortstops Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts signed deals for $300 million and $280 million, respectively.
As of now, the Mets’ payroll already exceeds $340 million, and that number will increase to about $420 million after the luxury tax penalties the team will have to pay.
Cohen has already doled out big money to closer Edwin Diaz, ace Justin Verlander and center fielder Brandon Nimmo while also signing other notable free agents such as Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga.
Correa landing with the Mets might feel like a long shot, as Rosenthal noted, but Cohen has already shown no regard for the luxury tax threshold and will spend whatever it takes to bring a championship to Queens.
The Cubs, Giants and Twins have also been linked to pursuits of Correa.
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