Did you really think you’d be let off the hook that easily? Nah, nah, nah. Consider yourself reeled back in …
Even after the Cubs signed defensive stud shortstop Andrelton Simmons, the Carlos Correa rumors are here to stay. And, no, I’m not talking about those obligatory post-Simmons reports from Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi, implying that Correa isn’t yet out of the question for the team on the North Side of Chicago. Those follow-ups were probably always coming. Instead, I’m talking about a local rumor from two of the best Cubs reporters, who have been among the most vocally cautious about the Cubs’ interest in/chances at signing Correa, going back long before Simmons was in the fold.
Here’s the money quote from Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney at The Athletic:
The Carlos Correa rumors are already flying, but that shouldnโt be a surprise. Even with Simmons in the fold, Correa still makes sense as there are those within the organization who see him as a perfect fit.
You’ll find plenty of familiar reasoning for the Cubs’ potential interest in Correa (notably, their ability to move Nico Hoerner around in a super utility role that includes center field). And The Athletic duo does hedge by pointing out how useful it is for Correa’s camp to keep up the appearances of the Cubs interest.
But they also add that with the new CBA and spending rules, the Cubs could be “rethinking their strategy” on spending this offseason. It’s not laid out explicitly, but the heavy implication is the rising levels of the new CBT (luxury tax) and the weakened impact of tanking could push the Cubs to be more aggressive sooner than later.
And I know we’re focused on the part where they say “Correa still makes sense,” but let’s not gloss over the final line of that quote: “there are those within the organization who see him as a perfect fit.” This reads like quite a shift from the way Sharma and Mooney have been discussing Correa all offseason, and that feels notable to me. It makes me wonder what they’ve heard recently.
I still don’t know if the Cubs are *actually* ever going to hand out the 10-year, $330M+ deal Correa reportedly prefers. But I do think there’s a path for an even higher AAV deal on something closer to seven years. Maybe they can get creative. Stay tuned. And read more at The Athletic.