Free will is back, and still unsigned Carlos Correa will return to the forefront of the market as he looks to secure a contract north of a 10-year, $325 million deal. Corey Seeger signed in Texas before the lockout. Correa’s former team, the Astros, have not yet completely given up on the possibility of keeping him in Houston. Owner Jim Crane told Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston last night that the team plans to return to Correa now that the market has reopened (link to twitter).
“I’m sure we’ll get back in touch and see what happens,” Crane says. “Carlos is a great player. He is a unique player. I thought we made a good offer before. We will see where they are on their side. I’m sure we’ll talk to them soon.
The previous offer that Crane is referring to was reported by Berman back in November, for five years and $160 million — a large amount, but one that has always been a little shy about where Correa’s eventual paycheck will land. Correa has reportedly already received and turned down the Tigers’ 10-year, $275 million offer, which only highlights how Strauss will have to drastically change his own offer to keep him in the fold.
Regarding the Tigers’ offer that was made prior to the final signing by Detroit Javier Baez, MLB.com’s John Morosi adds additional context. Detroit not only put forward a $275 million guaranteed amount, but also included three opt-out clauses during the life of the deal, in addition to a $10 million annual bonus for finishing in the top five in MVP voting. Correa’s views were more focused on surpassing Seeger and possibly Francisco LindorThe Mets’ $341 million guarantee, however. He was reportedly asking for $330 million or more before the lockout.
There has been some speculation that, in light of a significant offer from the Tigers, perhaps Detroit could follow the Rangers’ lead and end up signing two of the best players in the market this winter. Baez has extensive experience at second and third base, and the Tigers’ payroll is mostly free and transparent. Miguel Cabrera is playing out the last two years of his current deal. Baez and his off-season mate Eduardo Rodriguez are the only registered players in 2024 and beyond, and it’s entirely possible that even Baez will be gone by that point. He has a pull-out clause in his contract after the 2023 season.
However, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports that Tigers owner Chris Ilyich doesn’t agree that another contract of this magnitude is on the books, casting a shadow over the possibility of a Baez/Correa double play. That’s especially unsurprising in light of this week’s report that Ilyich was one of four owners who initially voted against even raising the league’s proposed luxury tax threshold to $220 million. (It eventually hit $230 million in 2022, and it should be noted that the new CBA was ultimately approved unanimously by 30 owners.)
Morosi points out in his column that the Cubs are expected to be among Correa’s standout players, as they had already interacted a lot with his camp prior to the lockout. Of course, Correa changed representation and enlisted the support of Boras Corporation to represent him during the lockout, so much of that foundation may have to be redone. The Cubs, like the Tigers, have ample payroll space and can upgrade in the event of a shortstop.
The signing of Correa, however, doesn’t really align with baseball operations president Jed Hoyer’s early comments about Chicago’s off-season trajectory. Hoyer called the pitch the team’s primary concern – the Cubs have since added Wade Miley as well as Markus Stroman — and also preached the importance of “smart spending.” In general, Hoyer kept a low profile when discussing offseason spending. Stroman’s contract shows that this is not a Cubs team looking to completely tear down and save for several years, as it did leading up to the 2016 World Series crown, but there is a noticeable difference between signing Stroman for a three-year term. and fork out for a ten-year deal and the $33 million+ annual salary that Correa hopes to get.