Mets Were Right To Use Giants Doctors For 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.

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.