OPINION: Collapsed Correa Deal is Blessing in Disguise for Giants

As questions continue to be raised surrounding Carlos Correa's health following two physicals, the San Francisco Giants may have dodged a bullet, passing on free agent shortstop Carlos Correa, Jack Vita writes. Correa signed a 12-year, $315 million contract with the New York Mets last week.

Earlier this month, the San Francisco Giants agreed in principle to a 13-year, $350 million contract with free agent shortstop Carlos Correa. Less than two weeks later, the deal fell apart, after Correa's physical raised concerns for the Giants.

The day that Correa was supposed to face the media for the first time as a Giant was the same day that the shortstop reportedly agreed to a 12-year, $315 million deal with the New York Mets.

The Giants faced severe backlash and criticism from their fan base after the club backed out of the deal, but in the long run, I believe that fans will be grateful that the Giants ended up passing on Correa.

Saturday, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported that Correa's medical raised concerns for the Mets. However, the Mets may not be able to change the terms of the contract because Mets owner Steve Cohen has gone on record speaking about the signing.

Both teams that have tried to sign the two-time All-Star reportedly have had major concerns about his health.

Correa has landed on the Injured List seven times in his eight-year Major League career. In only one of his eight seasons has Correa played 150 games or more. In five of his big league seasons, Correa has played fewer than 111 games.

Prior to Correa agreeing to terms on a contract with both the Mets and the Giants, ESPN's Buster Olney reported that Major League executives were concerned about Correa's lower back. But it wasn't Correa's lower back that was the primary concern regarding Correa's medicals.

It was a lower right leg injury that Correa sustained while playing in Triple-A in 2014, that reportedly caused both the Giants and the Mets to worry. That doesn't mean that his lower back might not be a concern too.

Had the Giants followed through with their end of the bargain, they would have added an injury-prone player to their payroll for the next 13 years, through that player's age-41 season.

Correa's contract with the Giants had the type of potential to be the worst in sports history. Very few long-term deals pay dividends for clubs, and most tie teams up financially in the long run.

Through Correa's eight big league seasons, he has finished top-15 in American League MVP voting just once. Only once has the shortstop been a top-15 player in the American League by that measuring stick. Correa's deal with the Giants, would have made him the fourth-highest paid player in baseball history.

Given Correa's injury history and newly raised medical concerns, I can't see how this contract will age well in the slightest. The best hope is for Correa to perform at an elite level over the next five years, before he hits his mid-30s. Part of Correa performing at an elite level requires him to stay on the field.

If you don't factor in Correa's rookie season, in which he was called-up to the Astros big league club midway through the season, and 2020, when the season was shortened to 60 games due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, Correa has averaged 122 games per year, in his six full MLB seasons.

If Correa repeated his career slash line of .279/.357/.850, but played just 122 games per season for the Giants, how much better would the club be? The Giants are coming off an 81-81 season, and appear to need more help than just Correa.

Now, the Mets are reportedly concerned over Correa's medicals, and might not be able to get out of what could be one of the worst contracts in baseball history.

The Giants dodged a bullet. The Giants appear to be wanting to add a face of the franchise type player to their club. They've missed out on Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Kris Bryant, Aaron Judge, and now Correa, but they could get their guy next winter, when Shohei Ohtani hits the free agent market.

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