It’s physical. again.
The New York Mets, like the San Francisco Giants earlier this week, are concerned about Carlos Correa’s surgical repair of his right calf, which could jeopardize their signing with the star shortstop, according to a source familiar with the matter. 12-year, $315 million agreement. Not authorized to speak publicly.
If the Mets continue to have reservations about the long-term stability of Correa’s leg, the two sides could agree to a contract restructuring. It may be difficult for the Mets to fully back out of the deal after their owner Steve Cohen spoke out about the deal. It could also be difficult for Correa to re-enter free agency and land a similar deal after both clubs found the same issue during their medicals.
Correa and his agent Scott Boras on Wednesday reversed their original 13-year, $350 million pact with the Giants to a solo deal with the Mets, a new development that shocked the baseball saga latest twist.
Cohen confirmed his apparent coup to the New York Post, saying, “There’s one more thing we need, and this is it.” Major League Baseball warned teams not to comment publicly on pending agreements, a former executive said. Pointing out such remarks may persuade the arbitrator to side with the player in the appeal.
If the Mets remain uneasy about Correa’s long-term prognosis, one way to change the agreement would be to insert language stating that parts of the deal aren’t guaranteed if Correa misses certain minutes with a specific leg issue. However, Boras is likely to oppose any attempt to alter the deal.
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Correa, who has played in 148 and 136 games over the past two seasons, underwent a physical with the Mets on Thursday, Boras said. Unless something goes wrong, teams usually formalize a deal the day after a player’s physical. The Giants will stick to that plan early in the week.
San Francisco reached an agreement with Correa on Dec. 12. 13. Correa underwent a medical on Monday, and the Giants scheduled an introductory news conference for Tuesday. But the team postponed that morning’s press conference, later confirming “there was a difference of opinion regarding the results of Carlos’ medical.”
Correa, 28, needed arthroscopic surgery to repair a fractured right fibula after hitting an RBI triple in June 2014 when he was 19 and still in the minor leagues with the Astros when the pin got stuck in the bag and minor ligament damage. Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said at the time that Correa’s fracture was closer to his ankle than his knee.
In eight major league seasons, Correa has never been on the injured list with a problem with his right leg. He mentioned the hardware in his leg after a game in September. 20, he appeared to be injured after a hard slip but didn’t miss any time afterward.
“He just hit my plate,” Correa told reporters. “I had surgery and he hit it. Just a little numb. Vibration. So I’m just waiting for it to calm down. It’s kind of scary, but as soon as I move I know it’s good.”
The Twins signed Correa to a three-year, $105.3 million free-agent contract last March, then offered him a 10-year deal after he opted out of the deal at the start of the offseason. year, worth $285 million. If Correa accepts, the team will scrutinize his fitness more closely than initially, given the long-term nature of the deal, sources said.
Boras tried to rehire the Twins after the Giants refused to complete the deal with Correa. But unlike the Mets, who earned $27 million from their first discussions with Correa, the Twins were unwilling to walk away from their initial offer. The Twins also won’t move forward with the conversation without investigating potential issues arising from Correa’s physical contact with the Giants, major league sources said.
Boras said Wednesday that the Giants advised him to speak with other doctors before continuing to treat Correa, but he was unwilling to wait.
deeper
Scott Boras: Carlos Correa’s health has ‘no current issues’ as Mets get physical
“I said, ‘Look, I’ve given you a reasonable amount of time. We need to make progress on this. Give me a time frame. If you’re not going to execute, I need to go talk to other teams,'” Boras said.
“You’re talking about a player who has played eight major league seasons. His medical records have things that happened decades ago. These are speculative dynamics.
“Every team has the right to check things and evaluate things. The point is, we gave them (the Giants) medical report at the time. They still want to sign this player and negotiate with the player.”
Team medical staff will occasionally interpret a player’s medical records differently, just as a doctor giving a patient a second opinion might disagree with the first. The Mets’ equivalent of Correa’s second opinion. They seem to be confirming the first one.
(Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)