Earlier this week, a group of baseball analysts at ESPN threw out their predictions for some of the biggest free agents of the offseason. Jesse Rogers was among the group of writers, and Carlos Correa was among his predictions: Minnesota Twins – seven years, $230 million.
That seemed a little light to me for the youngest of the four free agent shortstops (and the only one detached from draft pick compensation). And apparently, I’m not alone on that. After that prediction went up, Jesse Rogers joined the Cubs Talk Podcast to share some feedback he received from folks within the game who saw it as a little light.
“I talked to a couple of people (in Major League Baseball) who read (my prediction), and they said ‘Jesse, you’re low. You’re low. He’s getting more than $230M. He’s getting closer to Turner … he’s getting $250M.’ And the Cubs aren’t spending $250M.”
Okay, yeah, $230 million was light … but so is $250 million!
So I’m here to say — as plainly as possible — if it takes ONLY $250 million to sign Carlos Freakin’ Correa, the Cubs absolutely must get that done. Or, at the very least, they must be willing to go to that level. If they are right up there in their offer, but he picks another team, OK. I get it. It happens. But if they lose Correa to some other team at $250 million solely because they weren’t even WILLING to go there … hoo boy. That’d be embarrassing and frustrating. And even more frankly, it’d be foolish.
Remember, Correa is barely 28 years old. He’s not attached to draft pick compensation. He’d immediately improve the Cubs’ defense (at two positions), help stack the lineup (which is desperate for impact anywhere they can find it), and provide the star power that is otherwise COMPLETELY absent from this team.
Again, it’s one thing if they refuse to do some market-setting, $300M+ deal. Might still not be acceptable, but I could at least entertain arguments. But at the level Rogers is hearing and reporting? Only $250 million? Only eight years? Heck no. You have to get that done.
Unfortunately, Rogers was clear as day: “The Cubs aren’t spending $250 million” and “six years is probably the extreme end of what the Cubs want to do.” If true … I’m hot.
Then again, that very incredulity is probably a very good sign that even $250 million is a light prediction. So maybe that’s how this resolves itself. But again, if that *is* all it takes to sign Correa and the Cubs aren’t right there in the end, I will be extremely disappointed. And I’ll start to question what exactly it is the Cubs expect us to keep tuning in to see.
Note that at least one other local beat writer has guessed that Carlos Correa might not get more than seven years, and that the Cubs still might be involved at that level. For what it’s worth.