I’ll omit facts, but still: the Mets weren’t prepared to go as far as the Twins financially for the services of Carlos Correa. You read correctly.
Let’s start from the beginning to make it logical.
A few weeks ago, the Minnesota Twins were ready to offer $285 million over 10 years to their shortstop player. However, he chose to go for 13 years and $350 million with the Giants.
When they were afraid of his medical report, he signed a 12-year, $315 million contract with the New York Mets… and they were also afraid of his medical report.
The problem? He had surgery nine years ago on his ankle and the doctors are afraid that in 10, 11, 12 or 13 years, the sores will come out. The two clubs therefore tried to protect themselves, but in vain.
And that’s where the Twins came in. His 2022 formation offered him a new contract with six years of contract (which he accepted) where he is guaranteed to touch his money. To this, we add four seasons activated de facto if the player reaches a certain number of at-bats.
Otherwise, years 7-8-9-10 become option years at the discretion of the team. This could increase the guaranteed $200 million to $270 million.
He may have a no-trade clause, but he has no exit option and the Twins can control the last years of the contract at a good price. He might only get $10 million in the last year, which is crazy.
The Twins are absolutely to be congratulated. They wanted Correa more than anyone and in the end they should have him around for years to come.
He has to pass his physical test, but that won’t be a problem. Why?
Because the Twins know him. Because the Twins have already settled, before signing, the case of his ankle, which does not scare them in just six years. Because they built a contract, with their bargaining power, tailored to their situation.
And because they took risks on the next few years, not on the “problematic” years in 12 or 13 years. They risked the right way.
They went where Steve Cohen’s Mets didn’t want to go. The club offered him a guaranteed amount of $157.5 million over six years, which is less than the Twins.
But in addition, he had to pass a physical test every year to get it. It was therefore not really guaranteed, in the end.
The contract could go up to $315 million over 12 years, but there were a lot of conditions and that did not make Correa happy.
The famous “last batter” that the Mets coveted so much will be back at home, with the Twins… and Byron Buxton is very happy about it.
The Twins have been aggressive in the right way and so the Mets find themselves in trouble. They acquired parts to replace guys (Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, etc.) and they paid guys to keep them (Edwin Diaz, Brandon Nimmo, etc.), but they didn’t add the stick that they wanted.
Maybe it will be this summer…
No less than six teams were in the race to sign Correa when the Mets realized they had just slipped away.
So that puts an end to a saga that is really crazy… and I’m glad to see that the Twins have managed to keep their man at home.
We will therefore wait for confirmation, but I do not believe that the expression “never two without three” will apply here. I think the case is really over.
It was something to follow, anyway. Will Correa have the lead in baseball?
- Nelson Cruz in San Diego?
- Zack Britton in New York?
- What do you think of the Blue Jays’ offseason?
- The Mets will have a more… affordable payroll.
- Gary Sanchez in San Francisco?
