Mets Rumors

Talks between the Twins and Carlos Correa “have begun to accelerate,” report Dan Hayes and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. Minnesota rejoined the bidding late last week as talks between Correa’s camp and the Mets continued to drag on after New York had expressed concerns regarding his physical.

Rosenthal and Hayes reiterate that the Mets are not necessarily out of the bidding. The Athletic characterizes discussions as “fluid.” It’s the firmest indication yet, however, that Correa to the Mets no longer appears an inevitability. Minnesota seems very much back in the mix.

The Twins have maintained all offseason they hoped to retain the two-time All-Star after his season in the Twin Cities. There always seemed a strong possibility Correa would opt out of his three-year, $105.3MM pact after one season and land a more significant guarantee elsewhere. That has appeared to be the case on multiple occasions this offseason. The Twins reportedly put forth a ten-year, $285MM offer in December that fell well shy of the 13-year, $350MM pact to which Correa agreed with the Giants.

Of course, the Giants deal fell through after San Francisco’s medical professionals raised concerns about Correa’s right leg. He’d fractured his leg as a prospect back in 2014, requiring surgery that ended that season. Correa returned at the start of the next year and has never had an injured list stint related to his leg as an MLB player. Giants medical staffers raised some questions about its long-term sustainability, however, and the agreement was called off on the eve of the introductory press conference.

Correa and agent Scott Boras immediately pivoted to the Mets, agreeing to terms on a new 12-year, $315MM pact. That contract was also contingent on a physical, of course. New York’s doctors similarly took issue with Correa’s right leg, and the saga took another stunning twist.

Unlike after the collapse of the San Francisco deal, Correa’s camp didn’t immediately pivot to other teams. They negotiated exclusively with the Mets for roughly two weeks (presumably in part delayed by the holiday season). Reports suggested New York was intent on instituting some injury protection in the contract, likely via a clause that’d reduce the club’s financial hit and/or allow them to get out of a certain portion of the deal if Correa missed significant time because of a right leg injury.

Those talks seemingly hit a snag, and Boras reengaged with at least Minnesota last week. Andy Martino of SNY reported at the time that Mets brass was growing increasingly frustrated with discussions and had given some consideration to walking away from the deal entirely. There’s no indication they’ve done so, but Minnesota is again involved.

The Twins will have their own concerns regarding Correa’s physical condition, to be sure. Correa passed a physical to sign his first contract with Minnesota last spring, but it’s possible the organization will evaluate things differently if looking at a commitment nearing or topping a decade in length than they did for a three-year guarantee. Correa spent the season in Minnesota but didn’t seem to undergo a significant medical evaluation after his initial physical, aside from imaging on a bruised finger suffered in May. Hayes and Rosenthal write that Correa didn’t appear in the Minnesota training room at any point in the season after returning from his finger issue.

While that’s not all that surprising, it’s notable considering Correa had a late-September scare with his right leg. He spent some time on the ground after sliding into a base and then limped off the field. He remained in the game and didn’t miss any time, but he acknowledged after the contest he had felt some numbness and vibration in the leg, which he noted contained a metal plate that was put in during his 2014 surgery.

With the 12-year agreement between the Mets and Carlos Correa still in limbo, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports that the Twins have not only jumped back into the mix for Correa but have emerged as a legitimate candidate to re-sign him (Twitter link, with audio, via MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM). SNY’s Andy Martino, meanwhile, writes that the Mets have grown “very frustrated” with the state of negotiations and have even contemplated walking away from the deal. Talks between the Mets and Correa aren’t dead, Martino emphasizes, but it’s nevertheless a pessimistic turn in what has become a wild, unparalleled free-agent saga for Correa.

The latest wave of drama comes on the heels of an evening report from the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, which indicated Correa and agent Scott Boras had engaged at least one other team as recently as yesterday afternoon. Heyman, too, noted that Minnesota had been in touch with Correa’s camp in recent weeks.

The Twins and Correa have “some momentum,” per Bowden, who adds that Minnesota appears more willing to take on some risk regarding Correa’s medicals than either the Giants or the Mets. The Twins’ most recent offer to Correa was a reported 10-year, $285MM pact, though that came before the Giants blew them out of the water with a 13-year, $350MM bid. It’s unclear whether Minnesota has made any alterations to that offer.

That Giants agreement feels like ancient history, as San Francisco canceled Correa’s introductory press conference after his physical gave the team some trepidation. There’s no indication that the Giants entirely halted their efforts to sign Correa, but while they were determining their next steps, the Mets swooped in and agreed to terms with Correa on a 12-year, $315MM pact. Shortly thereafter, however, the Mets raised their own concerns regarding Correa’s physical. That was nearly two weeks ago. A deal has not yet been finalized.

At issue for both the Giants and the Mets appears to be a nearly decade-old leg injury and corresponding concerns over how that may impact the All-Star infielder down the road. Back in 2014, while playing in the Astros’ minor league system, a then-19-year-old Correa suffered a fractured fibula while sliding into third base. The injury required surgery, and a metal plate was inserted into Correa’s leg.

The exact concern regarding the long-term stability of Correa’s leg isn’t clear, but both the Giants and Mets have at least been concerned enough to pump the brakes on their reported agreements. The Mets have reportedly discussed adding a clause that would alter the terms of the deal in the event of a serious leg injury to Correa. It’s not known whether they’ve also sought to reduce either the length or total guarantee of the agreement.

Correa, of course, spent the 2022 season in Minnesota, where he slashed .291/.366/.467 over 590 plate appearances. That came under the terms of a three-year, $105.1MM contract between the two parties that was struck last March, but Correa triggered the first of two opt-out clauses in the contract following the season, in hopes of securing the long-term deal that eluded him in his last trip through free agency.

While it’s easy to assume the Twins have a full grasp of Correa’s medical situation themselves, The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reported in late December that the team did not conduct an extensive examination of Correa during the course of the season. That’s to be expected, but it’s particularly noteworthy given that Correa had a late-September injury scare with the leg in question, wherein he remained down on the field for several moments after being thrown out on a slide into second base. Correa limped off the field, and although he remained in the game, he acknowledged after the contest that he had briefly felt numbness and vibration in that surgically repaired leg.

That incident occurred on Sept. 20, and Correa did not miss any time in the subsequent, final weeks of the season. If there were any lingering issues, they weren’t made apparent through his performance on the field. Correa batted .346/.393/.481 with a homer and four doubles in 56 plate appearances from Sept. 20 through season’s end.