The San Francisco Giants agreed by the end of Tuesday in a historic contract with a super star shortcut Carlos Correa. The deal is worth $350 million, double the previous franchise record. It lasted 13 years, exceeding even the longest contract decade Farhan Zaidi had offered during his first 49 months in charge of the organization.
Reportedly, the contract does not have a full disclaimer and prohibition clause. This is a marriage seen with only a select few in the sport. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Julio Rodríguez recently signed contracts of 14 and 13 years, but Tatís was 22 when he signed and Rodríguez was 21.
Correa is 28 years old. By the time this deal goes through, he’ll be roughly the same age as Barry Bonds in his final season in San Francisco. But on a yearly average basis, the deal doesn’t sound so ludicrous. Correa will only make $27 million per season, about $1.5 million more than his freelance counterpart in 2022 Xander Bogaerts will earn in a similar amount of timeand a little less than Trea Turnera class member.
Bogaerts and Turner have fans across the industry, but Correa has so much more. In general, he is considered to have more star potential. By Baseball-Reference calculations, he’s registered three seasons worth more than Bogaerts’ best five, and four more valuable than Turner’s best.
And he delivers his value in a balanced way. He has never hit more than 26 own own goals in a season, but has also never hit less than 15 in his seven non-2020 seasons. Again, with the exception of 2020, his stage is a league-average hitter, which, given his defensive abilities, would still make him a great player. Competent players deserve three or more wins and at modern valuations, around $27 million per season.
There are risks, of course. Here are some of them: Correa was pretty hurt. Excluding 2020, he has missed 25 or more games in 4 of the last 5 seasons and 50 or more games in 3 of them. According to advanced stats and some scouts, his defense has dropped from a year ago. He certainly won’t play shortstop for the entire contract, and he may not even take the position for half of the contract.
Furthermore, he was deeply involved in the cheating scandal that helped Astronomy their 2017 World Series championship. But he, more than most of his teammates at the time, made the mistakes he made, and Correa certainly received louder boos elsewhere than San Francisco. (Thought this move would make Dodgers fans like him more?)
Despite the Giants’ surprising 2021 success, Zaidi has been criticized in recent months for his passivity. Fans can’t believe that a major market team’s longest contracts have been split Anthony DeSclafani and tommy la stella. But Zaidi, now it’s clear, is waiting for the moment to find a superstar. He pursues one of the Judge Aaronearlier this month, and appear in second or third place, with an offer in excess of the amount committed to Correa.
Now, he has his people. Tuesday there was a late report from The Athletic that meet also interested in Correa, damn luxury tax. That is supposed to complement twinhis 2022 owner, Giant and possibly childrenswho was at the periphery of his pursuit.
But once the Judge re-signed with U.S army, the giant that makes the most sense to Correa, who is looking for a permanent home after delaying his freelance company by a season to sign a short-term contract with Minnesota in March. No one with more money to spend wants a star more.
In 2022, the Giants are even 0.500, a step back from their glamorous 107-win campaign in 2021. They haven’t lost much to this year’s team: mostly aces. Carlos Rodon, who now looks set to sign elsewhere. But in the addition of talented midfielders Mitch Hanigertwo depth pacing starts (Ross stripped and Sean Manaea), and now Correa, they’ve at least pushed themselves into the realm of a 90-win team.
It is not guaranteed. Like Correa, Haniger has a history of injuries. But these Giants are at least interesting again.
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Pedro Moura is the national baseball writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the Dodgers for The Athletic, Angels and Dodgers for the Orange County Register and LA Times, and his alma mater, USC, for ESPN Los Angeles. He is the author of “How to Beat a Broken Game.” Follow him on Twitter at @pedromoura.
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