The San Francisco Giants finally hit gold in signing star shortstop Carlos Correa away from the Minnesota Twins in MLB free agency. This massive free-agent signing came after San Francisco missed out on Aaron Judge and others during the opening weeks of the MLB hot stove.
The deal came in at $350 million over a whopping 13 years, averaging $26.92 million per season. At first glance, it seems as if San Francisco completely overpaid for a potential franchise cornerstone. After all, Correa is now the highest-paid player in franchise history.
Once the deal became official, there was a ton of complaining from the Giants’ fan base. Perhaps, Correa is not the true superstar the wine-drinking, buckwheat-salad eating fans in Northern California envisioned. San Francisco doesn’t look like a true competitor with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the National League East, some might conclude.
That’s all fine and dandy. Opinions are like (you know), everyone has one. But in this hot-take, let-me-provide-and-opinion-on-everything society, those who knocked the Giants’ signing of Correa should be tar-and-feathered. OK, that’s too far. Shunned? Put on social media timeout? That seems more fair.
Related: Highest-paid MLB players of 2022
San Francisco Giants nab a top-end player in Carlos Correa
- Rookie of the Year
- Two-time All-Star
- 2017 World Series champion
- Gold Glove
- Platinum Glove
These are some of the things that Correa’s resume brings with him to San Francisco. Since making his Major League Baseball debut with the Astros back in 2015, Correa has proven he’s a top-flight shortstop, both on the field and at the plate.
Outside of an injury-shortened 2018 season and COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, he’s hit 20-plus homers each season. Correa has yet to hit under .274 or boast a sub-.811 OPS in a full season since joining the bigs.
- Carlos Correa 162-game averages: .279 average, 28 HR, 101 RBI, .836 OPS
Did we mention that Correa just turned 28 and should still very much remain in his prime for a majority of the contract?
Related: Sportsnaut’s MLB free agent tracker
Carlos Correa played the market before signing with the San Francisco Giants
Thirteen years. That seems like a pretty huge commitment for the Giants. But let’s look at it through this lens.
A total of 15 players are currently under contracts of 10 seasons or more. Of those, nine of them signed since the start of the 2021 calandar year. Noticing a theme here? It’s the new normal. Teams locking up players to long-term deals as a way to avoid what will be a market filled with inflation moving forward.
Prior to this recent run, a ton of these deals were signed with original teams. We’re still seeing that.
- Fernando Tatis, San Diego Padres: 14 years, $340 million
- Mike Trout, Los Angeles Dodgers: 12 years, $426.5 million
- Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners: 12 years, $209.3 million
- Wander Franco, Tampa Bay Rays: 11 years, $182 million
Outside of age, what’s the difference between San Francisco committing to Carlos Correa? There really isn’t one. In fact, he has proven his worth more than all of these players outside of Trout himself.
The other thing naysayers refuse to accept (or can’t comprehend) is the fact that the San Francisco Giants don’t have a single young player internally that deserved a contract of this ilk. Instead, they opted for a high-impact outside player in MLB free agency. Why blame them for that?
As some in big-markets complain about the contracts handed out today, those who exist in smaller markets should do a GoFundMe to provide some Kleenex in bulk. Billionaires spending millions of their own money to help provide an entertaining and competitive product on the field. Boy, wouldn’t Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals fans love that?
So, yeah, cry us a river.