Just 24 hours after it looked like a deal would eventually get done between the Mets and Carlos Correa, optimism is waning with Jon Heyman of the New York Post reporting agent Scott Boras has resumed contact with other clubs including the Minnesota Twins, who he spent last season with. After his deal fell through with the Giants, who were wary of his surgically-repaired ankle, Correa quickly pivoted to the Mets, laying the groundwork for a 12-year, $315-million pact that would make him among the richest players in MLB history. However, the sides haven’t made it official yet, with Correa’s medicals continuing to hold up negotiations.
President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi acknowledged last week the Giants had reached out to Boras about a possible reconciliation but were told Correa was “focused elsewhere.” Meanwhile, Correa’s camp has balked at amending their previous contract terms, offering little in the way of compromise with the Mets understandably hesitant to commit that kind of money to a player perceived by some as damaged goods. The Twins, despite similar reservations, were willing to go to 10 years, $285 million with Correa, an offer that looks better in retrospect, a more-than-fair amount for a player with significant durability concerns.
A two-time All-Star and former first overall pick of the Astros, the Puerto-Rican-born Correa holds a lifetime .279/.357/.479 batting line over 888 MLB appearances, winning his lone World Series (albeit under tainted circumstances) in 2017. The 28-year-old is coming off a productive 2022 with Minnesota, hitting .291 with 22 homers in 136 games. The Mets had planned to use Correa as a third baseman, allowing two-time Gold Glove recipient Francisco Lindor to remain at shortstop.
It remains to be seen whether the Twins are a serious threat or if Boras, as shrewd a negotiator as you’ll find in major professional sports, is merely using them as leverage, strongarming the Mets into signing the deal they originally agreed to. Still, Minnesota’s emergence in the Correa Sweepstakes is a noteworthy development, the latest wrinkle in one of the more captivating free-agent sagas we’ve seen.
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