In a completely unexpected twist, Carlos Correa agreed to sign a 12-year, $315 million contract with the New York Mets after his pending deal with the San Francisco Giants fell apart.
A person familiar with the matter confirmed the deal to The Associated Press. The source spoke on condition of anonymity. The New York Post was the first to report early Wednesday morning that the coveted 28-year-old free agent has accepted a contract with the Mets subject to a medical evaluation, which was precisely the problem with the Giants.
“We need one more thing, and this is it,” Mets owner Steve Cohen told the Post from Hawaii. “With this we are full.”
Cohen was in Hawaii when he negotiated the contract with Correa’s agent, Scott Boras, according to the Post.
Correa, an All-Star shortstop, would be the third baseman in the Mets’ all-star roster, while his friend and fellow Puerto Rican Francisco Lindor would continue at shortstop.
“This makes a world of difference,” Cohen told the Post. “I thought we were good pitching-wise. We needed one more batter.”
The Correa acquisition would increase the luxury tax amount on the Mets’ payroll next year to closer to $385 million. They would have to pay a record tax of nearly $110 million, doubling the current cap of $44 million the Dodgers set in 2015.
