In a bizarre overnight turn of events, Carlos Correa went from being a member of the San Francisco Giants to the New York Mets — and Steven Cohen added a final, explosive chapter to the Mets’ unprecedented offseason.
Tuesday afternoon, the Associated Press first reported that the Giants were postponing Correa’s introductory press conference due to a “medical concern” during his physical.
Then, in the early morning hours Wednesday, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported that Correa and the Mets were in agreement on a 12-year, $315 million contract. The news was later confirmed by other reports.
The average annual value on the 28-year-old’s new deal ($26.25M) is actually less than the 13-year, 350 million ($26.92) he would have been paid in San Francisco — likely owing to the concerns raised in his physical.
Normally a shortstop, Correa is projected to play third base for New York — as the team has already committed 10 years and $341 million to shortstop Francisco Lindor, a fellow Puerto Rican.
“We needed one more thing, and this is it,” Cohen told the Post. “This really makes a big difference. I felt like our pitching was in good shape. We needed one more hitter. This puts us over the top.”
Cohen had reportedly contacted Correa’s agent Scott Boras multiple times before the star infielder agreed to terms with the Giants — and when that deal was in peril, Boras was immediately back on the line with Cohen.
The Correa signing caps an astounding offseason for Cohen and the Mets that saw them commit an incredible $806.1 million to future contracts; the next closest spender this offseason was the crosstown rival Yankees, who spent $583.6 million and were heavily boosted by Aaron Judge’s record $360 million deal.
The Metropolitans’ largest deals:
- Brandon Ninmo: Eight years, $162M
- Edwin Diaz: Five years, $102M
- Justin Verlander: Two years, $86.67M
- Kodai Senga: Five years, $75M
The Mets’ Opening Day payroll is currently projected at $385 million — meaning they will be in the highest luxury tax bracket and pay an additional $113 million for an unheard of $498 million in total this upcoming season.
In the last three offseasons, Cohen’s Mets have committed $1.6 billion. Once again, the Yankees come in second — at a somehow distant $833 million.
