Carlos Correa reached a contract agreement with the New York Mets late Tuesday night after his previous deal with the San Francisco Giants fell apart over issues revealed in his physical exam, the New York Post reported.
The free agent shortstop and the Mets agreed to a 12-year, $315 million contract, per the Post, a step down from the 13-year, $350 million pact Correa was due to get from the Giants.
ESPN also reported that Correa was moving on from the Giants to the Mets.
Correa 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.
Correa experienced discomfort in his back while playing for the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins.
The Mets plan to play Correa at 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 that apparently won’t be completed 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 while winning his first career Gold Glove.
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.
–Field Level Media