NEWSLETTER
I’m assuming, by now, you’re aware of the overnight madness. But in case you missed the news: After signing Carlos Correa to a 13-year, $350 million deal* (*pending a very important physical, it turns out), the Giants backed out of yesterday’s scheduled press conference, citing a concern that arose during Correa’s medical review. Some 12 hours later, the Mets had swooped in and signed Correa out from under the Giants to a 12-year, $315M deal.
STUNNER.
It’s already one of the craziest free agent stories of all-time, and we still barely know what happened — at least, on the Giants end. Did a new injury pop up during the physical? Was there something in Correa’s past that spooked San Fran? Why didn’t the Mets seem to care about it?
Susan Slusser has been all over this story and has some very interesting details to report:
Scott Boras tells me that after the Giants cancelled their press conference yesterday, they indicated they still wanted to negotiate about Correa. But he didn’t hear anything more from them. Twelve hours later, the Mets deal got worked out.
It sounds as if there was a very old Correa injury – pre MLB – that was raised as a potential issue. It has not cropped up again. None of Correa’s other physical issues have required medical intervention or ongoing treatment.
In a follow-up Tweet, Slusser even used the magic phrase: “If this was a true medical concern, it sounds a little tenuous – and if it was a matter of cold feet, that’s usually ownership. Not the front office. Maybe a little bit or both? We won’t know unless or until the Giants discuss this, if they do.”
COLD FEET. That is absolutely WILD.
It would be one thing if a new injury popped up and they immediately tried to re-negotiate, but that’s not at all what happened here. This was an old injury and the Giants ghosted Correa/Scott Boras. And separately, maybe you could imagine a world where Steve Cohen was willing to ignore a legitimate concern to buy himself a World Series ring. But taking all of that together, it really sounds like this was a matter of … cold feet.
I just can’t believe it. After completely whiffing on Aaron Judge – and promising their fans the moon this offseason – the Giants let Correa slip right out of their hands.
Update: Non-comment comment from Giants President Farhan Zaidi.
