The Carlos Correa saga may not be over. After a 13-year deal with the San Francisco Giants fell through and Correa signed with the New York Mets, it looked like the drama was coming to an end. Even after the same issues arose in his Mets physical, the two sides were confident they could work it out.
That may not be the case. Mike Puma, an MLB insider for the New York Post, reported that the deal is still in limbo and even cited one source with less confidence that it will be finalized at all.
Puma said:
"Neither the Mets nor the All-Star shortstop’s camp would say whether discussions had resumed following a presumed break on Sunday for Christmas, after concerns arose over Correa’s physical last week."
He added that one source isn't all that optimistic:
"There is optimism a deal can still be completed between Correa and the Mets, with one source on Monday placing the likelihood at 55 percent that the two sides find common ground."
The Mets could restructure the contract to protect themselves if the injury that nixed Correa's deal with the San Francisco Giants causes problems. That would alleviate their stress and potential losses even though this injury hasn't caused much trouble in the shortstop's MLB career.
However, Correa isn't as likely to want to restructure since it could financially hurt him and put him back on the free agent market much sooner than he wants. There are options, but this deal is far from complete.
Will the New York Mets back out of their deal with Carlos Correa?
Carlos Correa signed very shortly after concerns were raised with the Giants. The Mets snapped him up and owner Steve Cohen, who has redefined spending in free agency this year, made public comments about the deal.
That makes it difficult for them to back out. Rob Manfred, MLB commissioner, has warned teams about making comments on deals that aren't final, so the Mets might be forced to honor their contract despite the injury risks.
The secondary issue is that the Mets clearly want to add top-tier talent. They spent $325 million on Correa, and there's no one on the current free agent market worth anywhere in the same stratosphere.
If they want to put the team over the top, they need Correa. Will his injury concerns be enough to derail that?