Matthew Tallarini
Chief Correspondent
World Baseball Network
Dec. 22, 2022
Christmas morning came early for Mets fans this year.
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported this morning that the New York Mets agreed to a 12-year, $315 Million contract with free agent Carlos Correa after his 13-year, $350 million free agent deal with the San Francisco Giants fell apart.
Heyman reported that the free agent shortstop’s deal with San Francisco fell apart due to medical concerns, with the Giants cancelling a Tuesday press conference where Correa was to be introduced.
The Mets had showed interest in Correa before he initially agreed to terms with San Francisco. Correa and and new teammate Francisco Lindor will play together for Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic in March, starting with pool play in Miami at Loan Depot Park.
Correa batted .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI, playing 136 games last year with the Minnesota Twins. The Ponce, Puerto Rico-native played seven seasons with the Houston Astros, winning the 2015 A.L. Rookie of the Year and the 2017 World Series during his tenure there.
The Mets front office is in record territory in regards to payroll and luxury tax. ESPN’s Jeff Passan noted that the Mets current payroll is estimated to be around $384 million, and the franchise’s luxury tax payments alone will exceed $111 million. Their total payroll projects to be $495 million, almost $150 million above the previous highest payroll in baseball history.
It’s been a wild winter for the Mets, who signed free agent starting pitchers Kodai Senga, Justin Verlander, and Jose Quintana, closer Edwin Diaz, reliever David Robertson, and outfielder Brandon Nimmo for the 2023 season in Flushing.
