After a busy morning on the free agent market, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Belt, Blue Jays deal to be made official.
Susan Sussler of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that longtime Giant Brandon Belt, who landed in Toronto last night on a one-year deal, will be officially announced by the Blue Jays today. Because the Blue Jays have a full 40-man roster, the club will need to announce a corresponding move to clear space for the slugger. Belt, who will play next season at age 35, has passed his physical and is good to go for the 2023 season after undergoing knee surgery in September, per Slusser. The addition of Belt should help the Blue Jays in their quest to balance their lineup, which was heavily right-handed in 2022. He joins Kevin Kiermaier and Daulton Varsho as lefty bats the club has added to their position player mix this offseason.
2. Is a Correa conclusion on the horizon?
Last night brought an update on Carlos Correa’s free agent saga, as reports began to swirl that talks between Correa and the Twins are accelerating. Correa initially agreed to a deal with the Giants last month before a snag in negotiations caused by Correa’s physical caused the shortstop’s camp to pivot to a new deal with the Mets to play third base. The Mets, too, flagged an old injury in Correa’s physical as cause for concern, and the sides have spent the past few weeks trying to finalize the agreement. Whether Correa ultimately ends up in New York, Minnesota, or somewhere else entirely, it seems likely that Correa’s rollercoaster free agency could be finally approaching its conclusion.
3. MLBTR Chat Today
MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be taking questions from readers today when he hosts a live chat at 1pm CT. You can submit a question in advance, and the same link will take you to the chat when it begins later today if you would like to participate live.
Correa over under 250 million guaranteed if he goes for a long-term deal?
Over. Minnesota has already offered 280 million.
But, the physical has to be passed.
I think the Twins gave him an exit physical at the end of the year
He already had a physical with the twins before signing the previous deal last year. The issue they are having with his medicals has to do when he broke his leg in the Astros minor league club. They are and have been fine with his medicals
As they only signed him to a 3 year deal, I wonder whether the physical they did was only with a 3 year contract in mind. May be different is it’s a 10 year deal
bigjon – I think you are 100% spot on. Why would twins care if his leg falls off in 2030 when they only wanted him thru 2025. I’m thinking they offer him 6/170 with option to pick up 4/125 afterwards ( with a 20MMbuyout). so its either a 10/295 or 6/190. Not sure he will go for it but can’t see Twins going higher
I think they didn’t care since the issue seems to be how the injury will most likely come into play a decade from now. If Correa is going to be a gimp in 9-10 yrs then its an issue giving him a 12-13yr contract. 3 yr deal not so much an issue
Tristan, it’s quite possible the medicals have changed since the physical he had when signing with the Twins a year ago. The slide into 2B in September might have changed something enough to cause the issue with his current medicals. It was reported that the Twins said they didn’t do an extensive physical post his original signing exam. If he goes back to the Twins, or any team, they will do a full medical exam again. So far he’s 0-2 passing them.
Twins said they would waive the physical
they did was only with a 3 year contract in mind.
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That’s my thinking as well, even with the new contract. If you think that the old injury is going to gradually result in more damage to his ankle or back, or anything else, the next step is to project the level of the anticipated damage.
If it a 5% hit to his WAR every year. you’re still going to have some very good results for the 5-6 years.
Really?! Never heard of such a thing. Maybe if you work at a nuclear power plant?
Over $250M if it’s long term.
My guess is if it’s Mets it’s the same 12/ $315 but with some language for Mets to void it or reduce it if he has a lower right leg injury.
Or signs 1-3 yr w/ opt out with Twins again.
This, the guarantee question (not max value)
Answer to you question: I think its under personally. If they are THIS worried about his leg years down the road…the $$ will have to be incentive laden on the back end. However the total max value might still be north of 300. My thought is that they are front loading with opt outs and they are building in crazy escalators based on performance(GG, MVPs) and longevity(games played) on the back end after the opt out period.
What I think happens: Boras saves face and take a shorter deal(3-5 years) High AAV.
Belt is a good signing for the Jays, checks a bunch of boxes for them. Vlad Jr gonna get 3rd base reps now?
Correa gonna sign another 3 year deal w/ Minn w/ opt-outs every year?… probably not, but if the Mets are really gonna walk away, you have to wonder if Any long term deals will occure. Tough situation.
Vladdy’s not getting third base reps with Chapman around. And Espinal is the backup at 3B. I don’t think Vladdy will see 3B this year or any year ever again.
If he’s taking a three-year deal with opt outs, why wouldn’t the Mets offer that?
Correa seemed to like MN, so why would he go to the Mets if the deal is the same?
Mets will be a better team but MN plays in a much weaker division, so I’m not even certain he has a better chance at winning in NY.
How do you know he liked MIN? They paid him handsomely and gave him a physical he could pass? I wouldn’t think he liked it too much if he took the first-year opt-out they gave to him. Now, if he signs a new deal with a NTC in MIN, then sure, he likes it.
I seem to recall stories about him enjoying it and being interested in a reunion, but I think he’s always been interested in maxing out on a long-term deal. It seems now that he’s never going to get that contract though.
He’d go to NY for more money, sure. But if MIN and NYM are offering him the same contract, why would he leave?
He’d leave the Twins for the Mets because he wants to play next to his pal Lindor. He obviously wants to play for the Mets or he wouldn’t have agreed to switch to 3B.
He wanted to play for the Giants. He wants to get paid. Mets were offering the most money after the Giants fell through. He doesn’t care about NYM specifically.
Correa loves New York so much he was willing to sign with San Francisco?
Hmmm, that sounds like Yankee fan logic.
Watch this and tell me this guy has any allegiance to anyone but Dior: youtube.com/watch?v=4tlclHCnrYk
Seems like if Correa was going to take another short term contract where he’s going to reenter the market, playing SS would certainly be a factor.
That’s why I know ATL is the other team not MIN (IMHO) that’s checked in on him, that would move Grissom to more of a utility option, since they like his flexibility and offensive upside. AA was working thru a short-term deal when he signed with MIN last year. They wouldn’t worry about tax implications this years on a short-term deal.
The question posed by baseballpun was “He’d go to NY for more money, sure. But if MIN and NYM are offering him the same contract, why would he leave?” My answer to that is he’d choose the Mets because he wants to play with Lindor. Is that Yankee fan logic? If so Yankee fans are smart which is contrary to my experience. LOL
@Melchez, the Yankees have never even made an offer to Correa. Logic is something you seem to lack.
>why would he go to the Mets if the deal is the same?
To win the World Series on a loaded team, instead of coming in third place in the AL Central.
Its so cute that you still think he cares about what team he plays for. Its all about the money. He has no loyalty.
What boxes? Old, can’t run, can’t throw, poor defender, and maybe can’t hit anymore.
I see no chance of Correa signing short-term given the physicals. Assuming the doctors are right, this is unlikely to get better. But $250M really isn’t bad given his talent level. He could have (3) 5.5 WAR years in a row pretty easily. 16.5 WAR at at least $8M each, justifies half the investment.
I’ll say that the Mets go over $250M/10.
He should just go the other way and sign short term for like $40m/year.
Carlos Baerga on Insta has been out in front of media on a number of signings this winter. Baerga declares the Mets will announce they have signed Correa is coming by the end of Tuesday.
Heyman went with a Baerga rumor, and thus was born Arson Judge to the Giants.
Junior Fernandez? Again?
Has Belt done the physical yet? $9.3M for 1 year is a lot of money for Rogers to spend on a bench player that might not play the majority of the season.
Old York He had his physical and was deemed healthy and good to go for Spring Training
my bill went up Jan 01… so they definitely have the money
Now Giants can bring back Posey to play 1B. Why not?!! Let’s do it for 1 year Buster!!
FYI, Susan Slusser’s name is spelled wrong.
I just hope it gets done soon so we can stop talking about him
“The Mets, too, flagged an old injury in Correa’s physical as cause for concern, and the sides have spent the past few weeks trying to finalize the agreement.”
No, no, no, no, no, NO! This is bad writing.
“The Mets also flagged an old injury in Correa’s physical as cause for concern, and the sides have spent the past few weeks trying to finalize the agreement.”
OR
“The Mets flagged an old injury in Correa’s physical as cause for concern too, and the sides have spent the past few weeks trying to finalize the agreement.”
Please hire a copy editor. There are plenty out there who need the work.