Carlos Correa is coming to New York and his impending arrival has seen the Mets close the gap on the favorites to win the 2023 World Series.
In a stunning overnight series of events, Correa agreed to a 12-year, $315 million contract with the Mets after his agreement with the San Francisco Giants fell apart.
Oddsmakers reacted quickly, with the Mets moving from +900 to +650 to win the World Series at BetMGM, from +850 to +750 at WynnBet and from +1000 to +750 at DraftKings.
Their odds of winning the National League pennant also shifted from +475 to +350 at DraftKings, where they are now the co-favorites with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Mets’ World Series odds at the sportsbook are now behind only the Houston Astros (+600) and New York Yankees (+700).
Whether the Mets signing Correa ultimately changes the balance of power in the NL remains to be seen, but it also had a direct impact on the Giants. After missing out on Aaron Judge, San Francisco made a 13-year, $350 million offer to Correa to become the new face of the franchise.
Correa, 28, was set to be introduced as the Giants’ newest acquisition on Tuesday before the press conference was canceled.
The San Francisco Chronicle first pinpointed the cause of the cancellation as a medical issue but said national media reports of a back issue were erroneous, citing sources close to the team and Correa.
Whatever the root cause is, the fact is the Giants have now missed out on two of the marquee players they zeroed in on in free agency.
San Francisco’s World Series odds took a hit at sportsbooks as a result. The Giants shifted from +3000 to +5000 at BetMGM, from +4000 to +4500 at Wynnbet and from +3500 to +5000 at DraftKings, where they also moved from +1700 to +2500 to win the National League pennant.
While the medical sticking point hasn’t been revealed, agent Scott Boras said he had given the Giants ample time to resolve any doubts.
“We reached an agreement. We had a letter of agreement. We gave them a time frame to execute it,” Boras said, per The Athletic. “They advised us they still had questions. They still wanted to talk to other people, other doctors, go through it.
“I said, ‘Look, I’ve given you a reasonable time. We need to move forward on this. Give me a time frame. If you’re not going to execute, I need to go talk with other teams.'”
And that’s what he did, agreeing to a deal with the Mets.
The Giants, in a statement issued Wednesday, had little to add.
“While we are prohibited from disclosing confidential medical information, as Scott Boras stated publicly, there was a difference of opinion over the results of Carlos’ physical examination. We wish Carlos the best,” the Giants said.
Correa experienced discomfort in his back while playing for the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins.
The Mets plan to move Correa from shortstop to third base, the Post reported, with All-Star Francisco Lindor in place at shortstop.
Mets owner Steve Cohen confirmed the Correa deal to the Post in an interview from Hawaii.
“We need one more thing, and this is it,” Cohen told the newspaper. “This was important … This puts us over the top. This is a good team. I hope it’s a good team!”
The 13-year, $350 million contract with San Francisco would have been the fourth-highest financial commitment to an MLB player.
The Twins reportedly offered the two-time All-Star a 10-year deal worth $280 million before he made his decision. He spent 2022 with Minnesota and batted .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs.
Correa was a key part of the Astros’ 2017 World Series championship team, two years after he won American League Rookie of the Year while playing for Houston. He is a career .279 hitter with a .357 on-base percentage, a .479 slugging percentage, 155 home runs and 553 RBIs across 888 games. He was an All-Star in 2017 and 2021 and a Gold Glove winner in 2021.
