The Yankees will likely roll with Isiah Kiner-Falefa as their Opening Day shortstop after stars Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, and Trevor Story all signed elsewhere, Story agreeing to a deal with the rival Red Sox on Sunday.
The Yankees apparently did some “due diligence” on the star shortstops that were available this winter, but according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the team did not want to go over the third luxury tax threshold at $270 million by signing Correa.
According to Sherman, Correa’s agent Scott Boras circled back to the Yanks as the market for the 2021 All-Star began to change, and it looked like he would receive far less than the $300 million deal he was hoping for after Seager signed a massive deal with the Rangers. The Yanks and Boras reportedly discussed a four-year deal with opt-outs, but because of the team’s desire to avoid the third luxury tax penalty, were “more doing due diligence than anything” when talking with Boras about Correa.
In the end, Correa signed with the Twins on a three-year, $103.5 million deal, shortly after Minnesota dealt Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson, along with his $50 million contract, to the Yanks for Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez. In a free agent class that was packed with shortstops that would present a massive upgrade for New York, the team didn’t seem to be seriously involved with any of them, as they will instead put their hopes on hyped prospect Anthony Volpe, who could be big-league ready by next year.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
