Carlos Correa is heading to the New York Mets, reaching a contract agreement overnight after his previous deal with the San Francisco Giants fell apart over issues revealed in his physical exam.
The free agent infielder and the Mets agreed to a 12-year, $315 million contract, per the New York Post, a step down from the 13-year, $350 million pact Correa was due to get from the Giants.
Correa, 28, was set to be introduced as the Giants’ newest acquisition on Tuesday before the press conference was canceled.
The San Francisco Chronicle first pinpointed the cause of the cancellation as a medical issue but said national media reports of a back issue were erroneous, citing sources close to the team and Correa.
While the medical sticking point hasn’t been revealed, agent Scott Boras said he had given the Giants ample time to resolve any doubts.
“We reached an agreement. We had a letter of agreement. We gave them a time frame to execute it,” Boras said, per The Athletic. “They advised us they still had questions. They still wanted to talk to other people, other doctors, go through it.
“I said, ‘Look, I’ve given you a reasonable time. We need to move forward on this. Give me a time frame. If you’re not going to execute, I need to go talk with other teams.'”
And that’s what he did, agreeing to a deal with the Mets.
The Giants, in a statement issued Wednesday, had little to add.
“While we are prohibited from disclosing confidential medical information, as Scott Boras stated publicly, there was a difference of opinion over the results of Carlos’ physical examination. We wish Carlos the best,” the Giants said.
Correa experienced discomfort in his back while playing for the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins.
The Mets plan to move Correa from shortstop to third base, the Post reported, with All-Star Francisco Lindor in place at shortstop.
Mets owner Steve Cohen confirmed the Correa deal to the Post in an interview from Hawaii.
“We need one more thing, and this is it,” Cohen told the newspaper. “This was important … This puts us over the top. This is a good team. I hope it’s a good team!”
The 13-year, $350 million contract with San Francisco would have been the fourth-highest financial commitment to an MLB player.
The Twins reportedly offered the two-time All-Star a 10-year deal worth $280 million before he made his decision. He spent 2022 with Minnesota and batted .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs.
Correa was a key part of the Astros’ 2017 World Series championship team, two years after he won American League Rookie of the Year while playing for Houston. He is a career .279 hitter with a .357 on-base percentage, a .479 slugging percentage, 155 home runs and 553 RBIs across 888 games. He was an All-Star in 2017 and 2021 and a Gold Glove winner in 2021.
–Field Level Media
