In a turn of events, Carlos Correa will be donning blue and orange for the New York Mets for the next 12 years. Rather than the 13-year, $350 million deal the superstar shortstop agreed to with the San Francisco Giants, a late-night deal will see the 28 year old tied to the Mets organization for a decade-plus on a $315 million contract.
Reports from The Associated Press indicated the Giants pushed back a Tuesday news conference that was set to introduce Correa due to a “medical concern.” A medical issue was flagged during Correa’s physical, and the organization was waiting on test results.
Correa’s deal with San Francisco was set to be the fourth-largest monetary contract in MLB history.
The Mets tried to make a push at Correa before he ultimately agreed to the deal with the Giants. But after the physical debacle, Mets owner Steve Cohen swooped in in the middle of the night to snag the coveted two-time All-Star.
In 2022, Correa slashed .291/.266/.467 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI for the Twins. He is a World Series Champion with the Astros, where he played for seven seasons.
The addition of Correa will surely bolster the Mets lineup that desperately needed another bat. Correa will likely play third base for the Mets, as Francisco Lindor is the everyday shortstop.
With the signing of Correa, it brings the organization’s free agency spending to just over $806 million. Notably, the Mets re-signed two franchise favorites in Edwin Díaz ($102M) and Brandon Nimmo ($162M), along with the much-needed setup pitcher in Adam Ottavino ($14.5M). New faces on the Mets will include Justin Verlander ($86.6M) and Kodai Senga ($75M).
(Photo: Raj Mehta/USA TODAY Sports/cropped)