Shortstops have come and gone in the Major League Baseball free agency market, landing some jaw-dropping, multi-year contract extensions this offseason.
However, one name that's left for grabs, Carlos Correa, still remains among the top-tier infield options left on the market. Fresh off a one-year run with the Minnesota Twins in 2022, the All-Star shortstop -- like many others -- is also seeking his big payday.
The question for Correa remains: where?
According to MLB insider Buster Olney, one American League East club could swoop in at the opportunity to add Correa, just when many thought they already did enough splurging to retain their very own homegrown star.
"The team I'm watching at the moment -- the (New York) Yankees," Olney said on 95.7 The Game in the Bay Area on Friday. "Because I'm definitely picking up a lot of vibes there that, yeah they signed Aaron Judge to that $360 million deal, but they're working on something big. And I wish I could tell you exactly what that was, but Carlos Correa, let's face it, among the available free agents, that would be the biggest way to go."
The Yankees, who won the AL East last season and came up short in the ALCS against the Houston Astros, already did their part to ensure a chance of reaching the World Series in 2023 after bringing back the defending AL home run champ Aaron Judge on a nine-year extension.
While Judge proved to be far from enough to get over the hump, perhaps a World Series-experienced veteran such as Correa is just what the Yankees are thinking. Again, as Olney emphasized, linking Correa to the Yankees is mere "speculation" rather than anything that's been confirmed.
"This is total speculation on my part," Olney said. "I don't have that confirmed, but I just know they're working on something big and maybe it's Carlos. ... If you're Scott Boras, you're seeing the trends in the market, you represent Correa, you're thinking you've got a shot at $400 million."
Last season, Correa made a career-high $35 million in annual salary before opting out of an initial three-year deal worth over $105 million with the Twins. The 28-year-old hit .291/.366/.467 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs in 136 games played with the Twins.
