The Carlos Correa carousel, one of the most incredible and insane stories in the history of baseball free agency, has finally come to an end.
Wednesday, the Minnesota Twins officially announced Correa’s six-year, $200-million contract that could max out at 10 years and $270 million if he stays healthy, ending an offseason of early announcements, failed physicals and false hope for fans on both coasts of the country.
But to really start the story, you have to go back to the offseason following the 2021 season.
After spending his first seven Major League seasons with the Houston Astros, reaching the All-Star Game twice and earning MVP votes in three seasons, while winning Rookie of the Year in 2015, the 28-year old middle infielder hit a free agent market stacked with high-value shortstops. Correa, Trevor Story, Corey Seager and Javier Báez all reached free agency looking for big contracts and some signed them significantly earlier than had been seen in recent seasons with Seager and Baez signing Dec. 1, 2021, largely because of what was to come.
Because, then came the lockout. For 99 days from 12:01 a.m. Dec. 2, 2021 to March 10, 2022, owners kept players from practicing, working with team doctors or signing free agent agreements, so Correa had to wait.
He eventually signed a three-year deal with the Minnesota Twins with a player option to leave after the first year, clearly intending to hit the free agent market again quickly in a more usual environment.
And he did.
After another great season, though one marred by injuries, Correa entered another market stacked with quality shortstops. This time he had to contest with Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson.
That’s where we begin the carousel.
Correa, along with many of the main free agents this offseason, looked like he would sign pretty early in the offseason when a 13-year, $350-million mega deal was reported Dec. 13 between him and the San Francisco Giants. The Giants even announced the press conference to make his deal official, including making a Correa Giants jersey that will never be worn.
Then came the first report, the press conference was postponed. Fans were left to wonder what was going on, until eventually reports began coming out that the Giants found something in Correa’s physical they didn’t like. For a 13-year deal worth that much money, a franchise-altering contract, every possible issue becomes a major problem.
But as soon as the question arose, Correa and super-agent Scott Boras went back to talking with other teams that had shown interest in the free-agency process.
It wasn’t long before reports started coming out that Correa was heading to the other side of the country to join the New York Mets and owner Steve Cohen who has spent money like baseball has never seen before since taking over the team. The Mets clearly learned from the Giants, offering only 12 years and $315 million, whatever the Giants saw, Cohen figured was only a one year and $35-million issue. That deal was reported Dec. 21, leaving just enough time for parents of Mets fans to buy a brand new Correa Mets jersey for Christmas.
But then, week after week, the deal went officially unannounced, though Cohen mistakenly talked about it publicly leading to some process questions. Then, reports again started coming out, Correa failed the physical with the Mets, too.
Apparently, the problem stems from a rod in Correa’s right ankle from an injury when he was in the minors in 2014, which has never caused problems in his Major-League career, but reasonably caused long-term concern. Correa said this week the Mets called the same ankle specialist who hadn’t cleared him with the Giants to try to clear him for their deal, clearly getting the same result.
Correa, Boras and the Mets began to renegotiate and report after report said, “Don’t worry, Correa will be a Met.”
But then, out of nowhere come the Twins, who offered a deal to Correa early in the offseason, but chose not to keep up with the mega contracts he was offered on the coasts.
Turns out the ankle is much closer to a six-year, $135-million issue.
Overall, Correa agreed to up to 35 years and $935 million worth of contracts in the span of a little less than a month.
The past month has been unlike any free agency story in baseball history, with more total years, more monetary figures and more questions about a generally-healthy player’s ability to stay on the field than we have ever seen.
And now it ends with one of the best shortstops in the game headed back to Minneapolis, a team generally considered low-spending and free-agency averse.
Just as everyone expected.