Reporter offers prediction about Carlos Correa contract situation

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

Carlos Correa and the New York Mets continue to work through the concerns that were raised after the star shortstop underwent his physical nearly two weeks ago, and one MLB insider believes a deal will eventually be reached. It just may look a lot different from the agreement the two sides made originally.

Ken Rosenthal said on the latest episode of “The Athletic Baseball Show” that the Mets “really have all the leverage” in ongoing negotiations with Correa and his agent, Scott Boras. Both the Mets and San Francisco Giants uncovered the same medical concerns with Correa’s lower leg. It is unlikely that things would go differently for the 28-year-old if he underwent a physical with another team. That is why going back to the open market is an unappealing option for Correa.

For that reason, Rosenthal expects the Mets and Correa to agree to a deal with an “exclusion clause.”

“The way to do it in a situation like this is to put something in the contract called an ‘exclusion clause’ and that basically says if a player spends X number of days on the injured list with this specific injury, the specific injury to that part of his leg, then you can void future years or you can lower the guarantee. There are all kinds of ways to do it,” Rosenthal explained, as transcribed by Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports. “Now, obviously if you’re Correa and Boras you don’t want this kind of language because it lowers the value of the contract and creates this uncertainty.”

If Correa wants his massive contract, he may not have a choice. Rosenthal added that any contract Correa signs is bound to be “dramatically different” from the original 12-year, $315 million deal the Mets offered.

Correa has supposedly drawn interest from multiple other teams as he tries to work things out with the Mets.