Giants’ medical concern about Carlos Correa revealed

Aug 4, 2020; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants backed out of their massive deal with Carlos Correa this week after the star shortstop underwent his physical, and we now know a bit more about the supposed medical issue.

Correa missed time early in his MLB career with a back injury, so there was speculation that his physical may have shown some sort of back issue. According to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports, the injury is an even older one than that.

Pavlovic was told by sources that the Giants grew concerned about an ankle injury Correa suffered when he was playing in the minor leagues in 2014. Correa was a 19-year-old prospect at the time and injured his leg while sliding into third base. He underwent surgery to repair a fractured right fibula and a ligament.

It is not unusual for teams to have concerns about old injuries, but deals hardly ever fall through because of it. Correa has been one of the best players in baseball for years, which is why the Giants agreed to a 13-year, $350 million deal with him. It is possible they got cold feet about their massive investment and the ankle issue gave them a reason to back out.

Correa’s 12-year, $315 million agreement with the New York Mets is still pending a physical, but team owner Steve Cohen will almost certainly make sure it goes through. He and Correa’s agent Scott Boras had a great exchange after the Giants backed out.