Carlos Correa’s 12-year, $315million deal with Mets could be ‘dramatically different when finalized’

Carlos Correa’s 12-year, $315 million contract with the New York Mets could be slashed after a physical raised questions about his long-term health.

The free agent shortstop and the club agreed to the deal last month after the San Francisco Giants did not follow through on finalizing a $350 million, 13-year deal due to concerns about his ankle surgery in 2014, they said. The Associated Press was told by people familiar with those negotiations. .

Now MLB insider Ken Rosenthal says he expects a drastically reduced deal between Correa and the Mets.

“We expect it to be a dramatically different deal,” Rosenthal said in The Athletic Baseball Show. ‘It’s not going to be 12 years, $315 [million] guaranteed. The question, again, is: To what extent does the language change, does the deal change? And how will Carlos Correa be once he gets over all this? Will it be a happy Met? Will you be upset? Who knows?’

Rosenthal previously suggested Mets owner Steve Cohen could use leverage to reduce Correa’s salary, but he reversed those comments Wednesday.

“One thing I said earlier about leverage: Yeah, the Mets have all the leverage,” Rosenthal said. But they also want a happy player. And you don’t want to start a relationship, especially a long-term relationship with a gamer, with any degree of controversy. You want that player to feel comfortable with the treatment he received and not feel like he’s been ripped off, in some way.

Giants executive Farhan Zaidi said the club raised concerns with Correa’s representative immediately when an issue arose with the shortstop’s physical that led to the collapse of that deal.

Zaidi, San Francisco’s president of baseball operations, spoke publicly last month for the first time since Correa’s $350 million, 13-year contract was canceled on Dec. 20. An introductory press conference was canceled about three hours before it was to begin. that day. Correa and agent Scott Boras then reached a new deal with the Mets for $315 million over 12 years.

“I was on the phone with Scott Boras on Monday that we did the proper physical on Carlos when his plane landed in San Francisco at 5 p.m. and those conversations continued from that point, so any suggestion that this was something last minute it’s not accurate,” Zaidi said on a video call with a small group of reporters. “As soon as we had information, we shared it. We have a good working relationship with Scott Boras and his agency.’

Zaidi confirmed that the Giants and Correa’s camp had “a difference of opinion about the physical.”

The differing opinions concerned a right ankle injury and surgery in 2014 when the star infielder was playing Class A, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the rules. Of privacy. Correa’s deal with the Mets is being held back by similar concerns.

Zaidi said it’s important and standard front office practice “to show them the respect of raising any concerns immediately and not waiting until the last possible second.” He expressed having a good relationship with Boras.

If and when Correa’s deal goes through in New York, the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year would likely move from shortstop to third base with the Mets, who already have Francisco Lindor at shortstop. Correa has a career batting average of .279 with 155 home runs and 553 RBIs in eight major league seasons, including a .291 average with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs last year.