Carlos Correa remained at the North Pole on Monday, his destination as a belated gift for a yet unknown deserving recipient.
Neither the Mets nor the All-Star shortstop’s camp would say if talks resumed after a presumed Sunday break for Christmas, after concerns arose over Correa’s physique last week. Both sides reached a 12-year deal worth $315 millionprovided that Correa passes his medical examination.
At issue is a right ankle injury Correa suffered in the minor leagues that led the Giants to void a 13-year contract with the $350 million shortstop.
There is optimism that a deal can still be reached Between Correa and the Mets, with a source Monday putting the odds at 55% that the two sides will find common ground. Among the possibilities is adding contract language that would protect the Mets from financial liability if Correa’s pre-existing condition sidelines him for an extended period. Correa’s agent Scott Boras worked out a similar contract clause with JD Martinez following a five-year deal with the Red Sox for $110 million.
But the belief is that Correa — whose strong preference is to play for the Mets — isn’t open to restructuring the length or financial terms of the contract. At least three teams have been in contact with Correa’s camp in recent days, but Correa remains committed for now to trying to finalize his deal with the Mets.
Correa underwent arthroscopic surgery after fracturing his right fibula and suffering ligament damage slipping into third base as a minor leaguer in 2014. In his eight seasons in the majors, Correa was not placed on the injured list with a right leg injury. But Correa has faced other ailments that have sidelined him in recent seasons, including back injuries that forced him to miss a lot of time in 2018 and 2019.
It could be up to the two sides to find a compromise: The Mets can’t just go for another big bat in the free agent market, those options having evaporated. And from Correa’s perspective, does he need the drama of a third and physical deal this winter? Also, what kind of influence would Correa have in the negotiations? The Twins (who got him last season) didn’t hesitate to offer Correa a 10-year contract for $285 million, but that was before his two reported physicals.
Interested parties during that delay include Eduardo Escobar and Luis Guillorme, one or both of whom could be traded if Correa’s deal with the Mets goes through. Correa would play third base for the team, with friend Francisco Lindor remaining at shortstop.
If Correa isn’t signed, the Mets could still try to trade the Red Sox for Rafael Devers, but that’s not the way to go for an organization looking to retain prospects and build a formidable farming system. .
Correa, 28, wasn’t on the Mets’ radar until late in his free agency. Team owner Steve Cohen told The Post’s Jon Heyman the Mets need another bat, after adding weapons to Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, David Robertson and Adam Ottavino, with Brandon Nimmo as the only significant offensive play to show from an offseason in whose 2023 payroll topped the $350 million plateau (which doesn’t include an additional $75 million in penalties for going over the top tier of the luxury tax threshold). After the Giants delayed finalizing their deal with Correa over his physicality, Boras called Cohen on vacation in Hawaii and struck a late-night deal.
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