All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa, a free agent for the first time in his career, has long maintained his love for New York and especially playing at Yankee Stadium. His recent appearance, alongside teammate Martin Maldonado, at UFC 268 held at Madison Square Garden earlier this month did little to quiet rumors of Correa’s interest in the Yankees, a team he routinely tormented throughout his seven-year Astros tenure.
Of course, because of his ties to the Astros’ cheating scandal, denying the Bombers in both the 2017 and 2019 playoffs, Correa in New York could be a tough sell. Further complicating matters, Correa’s unprompted criticism of Derek Jeter likely won’t sit well with a fan base that, by all accounts, hates his guts.
In an interview conducted in Spanish, Correa was dismissive of Jeter, insisting the Yankees legend was not deserving of any of the five Gold Gloves he garnered throughout his Hall-of-Fame career. Blasphemous as it sounds, that’s fair criticism of Jeter, who has long been considered an overrated fielder. Though he certainly had his share of highlight-reel moments including his iconic flip to nab Jeremy Giambi (who, inexplicably, elected not to slide) at home plate and venturing into the stands to rob Trot Nixon on one of the gutsiest plays you’ll ever see, on the whole, Jeter graded as a below-average defensive shortstop, finishing his career with an abysmal -162 defensive runs saved.
But as far as first impressions go, Correa probably should have workshopped this take before unleashing it to the masses. Would Correa make the Yankees, currently in the midst of a 12-year World Series drought, a better team? Undoubtedly. But does Correa’s value as a baseball player trump the awkwardness of joining a team he’s openly antagonized for much of the past decade? That will be for GM Brian Cashman, and Correa himself, to decide.
In embracing his villain role as the unapologetic face of baseball’s most hated team, Correa has made plenty of enemies in his short time in the big leagues. But as a 27-year-old in his athletic prime coming off career-highs in home runs (26), runs scored (104) and wins above replacement (7.2)—not to mention he was this year’s AL Gold Glove recipient at shortstop—Correa’s immense talent cannot be discounted. Will the title-starved Yankees make a deal with the devil or was Correa slandering Jeter a bridge too far? We’re about to find out.
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