Carlos Correa
The New York Mets did not sign Carlos Correa, and Correa is a Minnesota Twin again. We know that is because the Mets had the same issues with Correa’s physical as the San Francisco Giants did.
The process which led Correa from the Mets to Twins seemed never ending. Now, apparently, even with Correa being a Twin, the story just doesn’t want to seem to die with Correa now telling his story as to what happened.
Correa spoke about the process with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. On the topic of the ankle, Correa had this to say about why he did not pass the Mets physical:
The Giants used an ankle specialist who didn’t pass me. Then the Mets used the same specialist, who obviously wasn’t going to pass me. He had already given an opinion to another team about my ankle. He was not going to change that. He was going to stand by what he was saying, of course, because that is what he believed.
Now, at first blush, it would seem absurd for the Mets to have the same specialist. In some ways, it seemed like a bait and switch. However, we all need to be reminded of just how exuberant Steve Cohen and his family was about the signing. Moreover, as we learned from this interview, Cohen sent his private plane to go get Correa. Cohen and the Mets really wanted Correa.
To some, this begs the question why use the same specialist as the Giants? Believe it or not, most professional teams use the same specialists. After all, how many times do we see a player visiting a specialist employed by another team, and just about everyone uses Dr. James Andrews.
It is a very, very small universe of doctors that MLB teams use and trust. That one's probably been used by every team in MLB and NFL in the last decade.
— Will Carroll (@injuryexpert) January 14, 2023
We should also note that specialists’ opinion existed. The Mets needed to find out exactly what the Giants’ specialist said. That is regardless of whether or not they used that doctor. Also, we should remember here, it may not have been sinister to use the Giants doctor. As Will Carroll pointed out there is a “very,very small universe of doctors that MLB teams use and trust.” It just may be the Mets consulted the same doctor not fully knowing the Giants used the same guy.
Another factor is we shouldn’t have discounted a Carlos Gomez type situation. Certainly, there were reports back then of buyers’ remorse and/or the Mets wanting the Milwaukee Brewers to take on more of Gomez’s salary.
More than any of that is the simple fact that the Twins doctors didn’t sign off on the same lengthy deal as they first offered. Remember, the Twins were first rumored to offer 10 years $280 million as the Giants and Mets offered contracts surpassing $300 million. However, that’s not the deal the Twins eventually gave Correa.
Correa signed a six year deal for $200 million. Apparently, the Twins were not willing to go to 10 years as they initially were. With the Twins getting Correa, certainly, no one is out there questioning what doctor they used. After all, they got the player.
In the end, the Mets did all they could reasonably do to sign Correa. He didn’t come because he failed a physical. He wasn’t a Giant because he failed a physical. The Twins signed him for less years and money than they initially intended because of the ankle. The only conclusion we can draw from here is the Mets did nothing wrong.
Now that Carlos Correa has signed with the Minnesota Twins, the question is now what? The New York Mets still need to add another bat, and with Michael Conforto signing with the San Francisco Giants, their options have become even more limited.
One of the better hitters left on the market is Trey Mancini, who played for Buck Showalter with the Baltimore Orioles. At 31, it does seem as if he is moving past his prime, but he does have some thunder remaining in his bat.
Last season, Mancini had a 104 wRC+. That came on the heels of a 105 season, which was a drop from his 132 mark in 2019. Of course, two things must be noted here. First and foremost, he missed the 2020 season due to cancer. Second he was thriving with the Orioles before being traded to the Houston Astros at the trade deadline.
Looking at Baseball Savant, Mancini has seen his average exit velocities and barrels drop each of his past five seasons. However, he did hit enough last season to be an effective DH. He also appears to be one of the players who could benefit from the shift.
Last season, Mancini had a .228 wOBA against the shift. When he was not shifted, Mancini had a .314 wOBA. It should be noted the shift numbers have been anomaly for his career with him posting strong numbers against the shift for most of his career. Then again, that was back when he had a higher exit velocity.
Where Mancini does his damage is against right-handed pitching. In 2022, he had a 111 wRC+ against right-handed pitching against an 88 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. For his career, Mancini is actually better against left-handed pitching with a 112 wRC+ against a 111 against right-handed pitching.
Part of the reason for the change in numbers was his role with the Astros. Before the trade deadline, Mancini was a 98 wRC+ against left-handed pitching while with the Orioles. That dropped to a 64 with the Astros. It should also be noted Mancini is typically a much better first half player than second half player.
To a certain degree, we see Mancini did not and would not thrive in the role Darin Ruf had last year. On that note, Ruf did not thrive in that role. Ruf and Mancini are really everyday players or semi-regular players who have platoon advantages.
This is again where Daniel Vogelbach presents a problem. His numbers against right-handed pitching cannot be matched by anyone, but his possible platoon partners do not thrive on limited duty. That would seem to qualify for Mancini, who at this point in his career is an everyday DH who can fill-in at a position for a game or two. No more.
Perhaps, Billy Eppler can start moving things around to make Mancini or someone else a fit. However, it does appear too late in the game to start doing that. It seems Vogelbach is in place at DH. While the Mets should look to improve on Ruf, and Mancini promises to be that, it does not appear he can truly fulfill that role.
When the deal with the San Francisco Giants fell through, Steve Cohen acted immediately to sign Carlos Correa. Cohen thought the New York Mets needed another bat, and his family really wanted the Mets to sign Correa. It all came together quickly with everyone exhilarated.
That was until it fell apart. Apparently, this wasn’t Carlos Gomez‘s hips. Both the Mets and Giants agreed there was an issue on Correa’s ankle. This wasn’t Five Days in Flushing where Yoenis Cespedes was going to come crashing through the door. This was more like purgatory with all of us waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Fact of the matter is we will never know how bad Correa’s leg really was. Maybe it was an insurance issue. Perhaps, it was doctors trying to ascertain just how long until it will impact Correa’s ability to play like an elite player or play at all. We don’t know, and in all honesty, it’s a real possibility we won’t know during his playing career.
What we do know is Cohen has earned out trust. This wasn’t the Wilpons trying to nickel and dime Vladimir Guerrero with his back. It wasn’t even them ignoring the medicals on J.J. Putz to execute that deal. Really, this is nothing like the Wilpons ever did because Cohen is unlike the Wilpons in nearly every way conceivable.
This Mets team was already past the Cohen Tax threshold before Cohen sought to sign Correa. He did all he could to make Correa a Met, but at the end of the day, Cohen listened to his medical professionals. He didn’t force an injured Pedro Martinez to take the mound or try to stop Carlos Beltran from having career saving knee surgery.
This was purely a baseball business decision. He went after Correa because it made sense for the team. He backed off because the physical indicated it no longer made sense for the team. It really is just that simple.
As fans, we are just left with a smart baseball owner whose sole concern is making the Mets the best team in baseball. Mets fans have needed that for over a decade. We now have it with Cohen, which again makes this the biggest difference between he and the Wilpons.
This Carlos Correa saga just won’t end. As a result, we’re at the point where articles have to delve into new subject areas.
The latest angle is the Minnesota Twins feel better about their chances. That was the subject of Ken Rosenthal’s latest report for The Athletic.
As Rosenthal wrote, the possibility of Correa returning to the Twins “is increasing, team sources said Monday night.” Read that again. Team sources said.
This is the Twins selling they can still get Correa. In fact, as Rosenthal reported the Twins kept in touch to be a landing spot should everything fall through with the teams willing to pay Correa fair market value.
Scott Boras talked to them after Correa failed his second physical. The Twins stayed engaged just in case. That’s it.
Really, that’s all this report is. It’s just saying the Twins are there and want us all to know they can still sign Correa once deals fall through with all the other teams.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post had a similar report. In his, he classified talks as “gaining momentum.” He went on to say the Mets “gave the opening to the Twins, who are trying to close their own deal now.”
Again, this is the Twins pushing the narrative they have a chance. Certainly, as the Mets and Correa move towards the finish line, Scott Boras is going to plant stories like these with trusted writers to help push the Mets.
Arguably, this is coming at a sensitive time in negotiations. We say arguably because no one knows what’s happening, but we did see a report the Mets figured things out right before these leaks.
Trust any and all of these reports as much as you’d like. However, at the end of the day, we don’t know if the Twins really have a shot until the Mets back out of negotiations which may never happen.
Again, this is a story which has been going on for too long. People are getting antsy, and they’re starting to wait for the deal to go sour. They’re looking for a fresh angle even if it’s not there.
We just need to sit and wait. Tomorrow will bring news of an agreement or another crazy angle. Essentially, we’ll keep getting stories until there’s an actual story.
When the New York Mets played the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card Series, it was the first time the Mets were in the postseason since they were in the postseason in 2016. In fact, that marked just the second time in team history the Mets went to the postseason in consecutive seasons.
While just seven years ago, none of the players from those 2015-2016 Mets teams are around anymore. Actually, that’s not entirely true with Jerry Blevins working on the SNY postgame and occasionally filling in for Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez.
Blevins isn’t the only player who is retired. Look back at their starting lineup in Game 1 of the 2015 World Series. Almost all of those players are retired:
- Curtis Granderson – retired
- David Wright – retired
- Daniel Murphy – retired
- Yoenis Cespedes – attempting a comeback after retiring
- Lucas Duda – retired
- Travis d’Arnaud – Atlanta Braves
- Michael Conforto – San Francisco Giants
- Wilmer Flores – San Francisco Giants
- Kelly Johnson – retired
That is five retired and one more effectively retired. Notably, with Johnson, we saw Michael Cuddyer and Kirk Nieuwenhuis pinch hit in that DH spot, and both are now retired. If anything, it would seem the San Francisco Giants is the official team of the 2015 Mets.
As we see with Conforto and Flores, there are still some of those Mets players still in the majors, Matt Harvey notwithstanding. However, when Jacob deGrom signing with the Texas Rangers, there are currently no players from that team still with the Mets organization.
When Seth Lugo signed with the San Diego Padres, that left the Mets with absolutely no pitchers from that two year run. When Conforto signed with the Giants, that meant Brandon Nimmo was the only Mets player from that two year stretch to remain with the Mets, and he only played in 32 games.
When deGrom signed with the Rangers, we obviously lamented the second greatest Met ever leaving the organization. However, it was Conforto and Lugo leaving which officially turned the page on those teams with so much promise which ultimately fell apart due to the Wilpons malfeasance and cheapness.
In a sense, we should welcome this chapter forever being closed. Now, it is all about Steve Cohen and how he runs the Mets. So far this offseason, that means Nimmo is a Met for life in addition to adding Justin Verlander, Koudai Senga, Jose Quintana, David Robertson, Omar Narvaez and hopefully, Carlos Correa. Oh, and by the way, the Mets brought back Edwin Diaz and Adam Ottavino.
So yes, it is sad to see a part of Mets history gone, but we will have those memories. More than that, we have an exciting new era and owner. Now, it is time to just wait for Correa to sign, and the Mets to win a World Series.
Did Carlos Correa officially sign with the New York Mets yet? No.
Did Correa sign with the Minnesota Twins yet? No.
Is there another mystery team involved? Probably. Maybe. But, that team hasn’t leaked, nor has the supposed presence of such a team been inferred by Scott Boras or Correa’s camp.
Have the Mets backed out of negotiations? We haven’t heard anything about the team doing that.
Is Correa frustrated and considering backing out? Frustrated, but after two teams had issues with his physical, it’s very doubtful he’s looking to back out of contract negotiations.
Are people creating stories with new super duper reliable sources? It’s Jim Bowden’s turn.
What is there actually to report? Nothing. There’s really nothing to report.
All we know is nothing. The only parties who actually know something are being very tight lipped. Only they know of this is good or bad.
The hope is we hear of a deal being consummated at 3 AM with all of us waking up surprised and exhilarated. Until then, we wait until he’s a Met or not.
It’s been over two weeks since the New York Mets and Carlos Correa agreed to a 12 year $315 million deal. As we know, the Mets shared the San Francisco Giants’ concerns with Correa’s ankle.
Unlike the Giants, the Mets continued negotiations. By and large, it seemed both sides were still very motivated to get the deal done.
The Giants looked to get back into the bidding with them being informed Correa was going to be a Met. As a result, the Giants shifted their focus and signed Michael Conforto.
The Minnesota Twins were always interested in bringing Correa back. They loved him last season, but they don’t present the same chance to win, and their contract offer was a distant third.
The longer this intricate negotiation continues with the Mets there is more of a chance Amy team could jump back in and sign Correa. The Twins are just as likely as any other team to do that.
Presumably, there are 28 other teams who could do the same. Make no mistake here. It’s Scott Boras’ job to keep other teams engaged to either push the Mets and/or make a quick move in the event negotiations break down.
With respect to the Twins, given their history, there shouldn’t be fear they present a Godfather offer to Correa. That history includes this offseason when they failed to do just that.
In all likelihood, they’re around because Boras is keeping them around. He needs them as leverage. He needs them as a fallback because if not the Twins, then who?
The Mets are aware of this, and we see they’re pondering walking away from the negotiations. In all likelihood, this is usually what we hear at the endgame.
Of course, that means it can still fall apart. However, if it does, it’s not because of the Twins. It’s because of Correa’s ankle.
If Correa re-signs with the Twins, it won’t be because the Mets didn’t match an offer. It’s because Correa’s ankle was too big of an issue.
This is an area where Steve Cohen deserves the benefit of the doubt in the way the Wilpons never did. We know Cohen can and will spend the money if it makes sense.
If Cohen and the Mets don’t sign Correa, don’t blame the Mets. Don’t blame Correa or Boras. Certainly, don’t blame the Twins or whatever other phantom team is out there.
It just means this wasn’t to be, and the Mets will find another way to improve the roster. Trust the Mets here.
The New York Mets resolutions as we ring in 2023 at midnight are:
1. Get the Carlos Correa deal done.
2. Win the 2023 World Series.
While we deal with the anticipation of the Carlos Correa contract being finalized, there are far more pressing matters at hand. Keith Hernandez is still unsigned for next season.
Now, this is an SNY/Hernandez negotiation meaning Steve Cohen isn’t a part of it. Whenever the Wilpons are involved, you can never fully trust the right thing will be done.
The thing is this is a deal that needs to get done. Hernandez is Mets royalty who is second only to Tom Seaver in stature with this franchise.
From an SNY perspective, Hernandez has been must watch TV. Honestly, even in lousy games, fans do stay tuned in to hear what he’s going to say or guffaw.
That is an extremely rare gift. Fortunately, SNY has understood that right from its inception. Whenever it’s been time to get a deal done with Hernandez, they’ve stepped up and gotten the deal done.
When both sides want to get the deal done, they find a way. This is why we should expect Hernandez to return in 2023.
It’s also informative for what’s going on with Correa. Through the endless non-updates updates, what remains clear is both parties are motivated.
Through this Correa Watch, we continue to hear Correa was thrilled when he and the Mets came to terms. We’ve also heard just how motivated Cohen is and just how personally invested his family is in getting this deal done.
Realistically speaking, it would be shocking if Correa wasn’t a Met in 2023 and beyond. On that point, while other teams are inquiring, Correa is negotiating with the Mets exclusively.
In 2023 and years to come, Hernandez should be talking about Correa’s “good fundies” at third base. We should also get to see this Mets team win the World Series like Hernandez did with the Mets in 1986.