Not only are there now serious questions about whether Carlos Correa ultimately will sign with the New York Mets, but a legitimate alternative also reportedly has emerged.
Jim Bowden, a former Major League Baseball general manager-turned-analyst, on Friday pointed to the Minnesota Twins as a potential suitor should the Mets continue to drag their feet.
"I'll tell you what I'm hearing this morning is the Twins have some momentum here, with the possibility of surprising us all once again," Bowden said on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. "They are still involved in Correa and they've got a shot here. I think they're willing to do a little bit more of a risk on the medicals than either the Giants or the Mets were in terms of years and dollars, from what I'm hearing. So, we'll see how this plays out, but I do think progress is being made here. I don't think this is going to go on forever. But the Minnesota Twins, yes, they are back front and center in the Carlos Correa thing."
Correa, who began his career with the Houston Astros, signed a three-year, $105.3 million contract with the Twins last offseason and spent 2022 in Minnesota. He opted out this winter to pursue a long-term deal, though, and it's since been a wild sequence of events, to say the least.
Correa first agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with the Giants, only to have San Francisco back out at the last minute over concerns regarding his medicals. The Mets then swooped in, reportedly offering a 12-year, $315 million deal, but they, too, reportedly have concerns over Correa's surgically repaired right leg/ankle, even though the issue hasn't caused him to miss time during his MLB career.
SNY's Andy Martino reported Friday the Mets have grown "very frustrated" with the Correa negotiations and are considering walking away altogether. And while a source told Martino the sides still stood a strong chance of reaching an agreement, the holdup has opened the door for another team, like Minnesota, to circle back with Correa's agent, Scott Boras, and possibly work out a deal.
"There is a possibility here the Minnesota Twins come in and just go pick out Correa right from under the New York Mets' noses," Bowden said. "It's a strong possibility. If the Mets don't move from their present position, don't be surprised if the Mary Tyler Moore statue someday has a Correa statue next to it."
Correa, a two-time All-Star, is entering his age-28 season. The plan was for him to play third base for the Mets, as New York already has Francisco Lindor installed at shortstop, but clearly, that's in jeopardy.
