Giants Strike Out on Star Signings

Plus, the Dodgers have to make a decision on Trevor Bauer.

At 11:50 a.m. ET Wednesday, less than 10 hours after news broke that Carlos Correa and the Mets had agreed to a 12-year, $315 million contract, I texted my friend Connor two sentences: “Wellness check. You alive?”

Connor is a Giants fan, and, well, as you know by now, it’s been a rough week for his favorite team. Actually, it’s been a rough month. The Giants backed out of their 13-year, $350 million agreement with Correa after reviewing his medical information. As Correa’s agent Scott Boras told Tom Verducci, “something in his [medical] history that for whatever reason gave them doubts” about closing their deal with the marquee shortstop. Boras then reopened free-agent negotiations and the Mets swooped in and signed Correa, who will be their starting third baseman because they already have Francisco Lindor at short.

The Giants failed to close the deal with Carlos Correa (left) and Aaron Judge (right) :: Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports (left), Thomas Shea/USA TODAY Sports (right)

This was the second time in two weeks that the Giants appeared to have secured a superstar free agent, only to lose him to a New York team. The first one came fourteen days earlier, when the New York Post’s Jon Heyman erroneously reported on Twitter that “Arson Judge appears headed to Giants.” The hilarious typo wasn’t the only error. The next morning Aaron Judge agreed to re-sign with the Yankees for nine years and $360 million, the same offer the Giants reportedly had extended.

So you can understand why Connor, and most Giants fans for that matter, were angry. “I am completely embarrassed to be associated with this team,” he responded. This was the first of seven straight messages he sent me. The next six read:

“They’re begging to give out a third of a billion dollars and can’t get anyone to take it.”

“And to get bamboozled by the f---ing New York Mets?”

“I know what they are now. But they are the Mets.”

“The optics are horrendous.”

“Imagine trying to sign a future star free agent? Or another Boras client? They’re completely f---ed.”

“If they weren’t being used before to drive up prices, that’s exactly what they’ll be now. It’s sad. It’s pathetic. It’s inexplicable.”

First, these texts are hilarious. I am still laughing at the image of Giants owner Greg Johnson standing in Haight-Ashbury “begging to give out a third of a billion dollars” to random passersby, only for them to turn him down. Hyperbole aside, though, Connor was right.

The optics were horrendous, even before most of the details came out. Things looked worse with each new story. As Verducci reported Wednesday afternoon, Correa was in San Francisco and dressed for his press conference on Tuesday morning when his deal fell through. Naturally, Giants fans interpreted this as their team leaving the superstar at the altar. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported yesterday the injury that so concerned the Giants happened while Correa was still in the minor leagues; he broke his right fibula and needed surgery in 2014, but this hasn’t been a problem at any point during his MLB career. Another thing that surfaced: Correa went house shopping in the Bay Area on Monday after getting his physical, according to Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle.

We probably will never know exactly what happened or why things turned out this way. The Giants have been quiet about why the right lower leg injury so concerned them; because Correa’s deal with the Mets is still pending a physical, San Francisco cannot publicly disclose any information about a free agent that would suppress his value in free agency—even though everything that unfolded did have that effect, albeit only slightly. On behalf of his client, Boras is incentivized to make it seem like there is nothing wrong with Correa. Anything the Mets say about this, assuming their agreement with Correa becomes official after the physical, is likely to support their new third baseman. No independent medical experts are going to examine the health records, and if they do, they cannot talk about it publicly without Correa’s consent—and why would he give his O.K. if the Giants had good reason to renege on the deal.

This is the type of situation that’s ripe for conspiracy. Just look at all the quote tweets of Emma Baccellieri from when she shared Verducci’s story from Wednesday on Twitter. Many of them are more deranged than the texts Connor sent me. I won’t get into any of those theories here, because really, they don’t actually matter. No explanation can change the fact that San Francisco’s entire offseason is one, ahem, giant failure.

The Giants made clear at the beginning of the offseason that they needed to add thump to their lineup. Perhaps they weren’t “begging to give out a third of a billion dollars,” but they said they were willing to pay whatever it takes to sign at least one of the top free agents.

Then, they missed out on Judge, which is fine because everything we know now indicates that he always wanted to re-sign with the Yankees. Maybe he used San Francisco as leverage, but you can’t fault the club for trying to sign the best available free agent, who grew up a Giants fan. There were still plenty of star players available to sign.

And that’s what the Giants did, at least at first. They received glowing reviews for signing Correa because, well, how could they not.

Now, of course, we know they weren’t willing to pay whatever would take to add one of the top free agents, because no matter the reason, in the end, they weren’t willing to execute the letter of agreement with Correa. We don’t know whether this will hinder their ability to sign future top free agents, but it probably won’t help. The optics, indeed, are horrendous.

It’s sad. It’s pathetic. It’s inexplicable.

This morning while I was finishing writing this newsletter, the Giants reportedly agreed to a two-year, $36 million contract with Michael Conforto, who missed all of last season after having shoulder surgery. The deal, which was first reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today, includes an opt out. A little while later, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that San Francisco and lefty reliever Taylor Rogers agreed to a three-year, $33 million deal.

These are good, smart moves that make the Giants better, but it is still deeply hilarious that they were comfortable signing Conforto and Mitch Haniger, who due to injury combined to play 57 games in 2022, while Correa played in 136 games—more than twice as many.

Here is Connor’s takeaway, if you're curious: “The risk tolerance, ironically enough, must be incredibly low for this front office. Damningly low.”

Have any questions or comments for our team? Send a note to mlb@si.com.

1. THE OPENER

Trevor Bauer last pitched in an MLB game on June 28, 2021 :: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

“The Dodgers have 14 days to decide how they will handle Trevor Bauer—whether they will cut the pitcher, who has just been reinstated from the longest suspension for domestic violence in league history, or whether they will continue to roster him.”

That's how Emma Baccellieri begins her column following the news, which was first reported by Stephanie Apstein, that Bauer’s suspension was reduced from 324 games to 194 games, time which he has already served. Bauer is eligible to pitch in 2023, but that doesn’t mean that he should.

As Emma writes, “To roster Bauer would be to make an explicit statement about the club’s values and perspective. To cut him would do the same, a statement equal in magnitude, opposite in direction. The clock is now ticking on the Dodgers’ choice. And if it takes them 14 days, well, that makes a statement all its own.”

The Dodgers Should Know Where They Stand on Trevor Bauer by Emma Baccellieri

2. ICYMI

A lot has happened since the last newsletter. Let’s get you caught up on some of our best stories:

Merry Correa-Mas, Mets: Scott Boras Is Not Worried About Carlos Correa’s Health by Stephanie Apstein
As the star of free agency undergoes his physical exam in New York, his agent is confident health will not be a problem this time around.

Bobby Abreu’s Hall of Fame Case Is Gaining Steam—Slowly But Surely by Nick Selbe
Underappreciated during his career and overlooked in retirement, the former Phillies right fielder is worthy of Cooperstown.

Jeff Kent Is in Danger of Being Snubbed From the Hall of Fame by Will Laws
In his final year of eligibility, the all-time leader in home runs for second basemen deserves to be enshrined.

Inside Carlos Correa’s Chaotic Flip From the Giants to the Mets by Tom Verducci
What happened will go down as the biggest undoing of a contract agreement in baseball history.

How to Lose 2 Free Agents in 14 Days by Emma Baccellieri
The Giants thought they had signed Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa this offseason, only to be spurned by the financial giants in New York.

Mets Owner Steve Cohen Is Embarrassing His Peers. And It’s Awesome by Stephanie Apstein
The Mets swooped in and signed Carlos Correa after his deal with the Giants fell apart.

Aaron Judge Never Planned on Leaving the Yankees by Stephanie Apstein
The new captain and his representatives made it seem like he would go to another team. In reality, he always wanted to stay.

The Mets Must Win the World Series After Signing Justin Verlander by Stephanie Apstein
New York has a new old ace for the second straight year. The organization can’t let him go to waste.

Five Win-Win MLB Trades for All-Star Players by Will Laws
The top free agents have all signed contracts, but there are still plenty of moves for contending teams to make.

Why the Dodgers Are Mostly Sitting Out the Free Agent Frenzy by Tom Verducci
They are the most successful regular-season team of the last decade, with seemingly infinite financial resources. So what the heck are they doing?

Cubs’ Dansby Swanson Signing Pries Open a New Contention Window by Matt Martell
Chicago may not yet have enough to qualify for the playoffs, but Swanson’s addition is a statement of intent as to how this team can succeed in the near future.

3. WORTH NOTING from Nick Selbe

It wasn’t long ago that the collective baseball world was wringing its hands over the stagnant nature of MLB’s hot stove. It was less than four years ago when, heading into the 2019 season, it took until February for Manny Machado to sign with the Padres. Bryce Harper didn’t sign his deal with the Phillies until March, which meant a long, cold winter waiting for the blockbusters to come through.

It’s not even Christmas yet, and the narrative has completely flipped. As of the writing of this newsletter, about 80% of our top 50 free agents heading into the offseason have signed new deals, including all of the top 15. The ones still available are pitching-centric, led by our No. 16 free agent, Nathan Eovaldi. Given the Carlos Correa saga from this past week, though, nothing is a given, and there are still plenty of moves to be made that will impact the season to come. In the meantime, though, let’s enjoy the offseason-as-spectacle alongside our respective holiday celebrations

4. TRIVIA from Matt Martell

Previous Question: Aaron Judge was one of four free agents this offseason who have won both the MVP and Rookie of the Year award in their careers. Who are the other three?

Answer: Justin Verlander (Mets), Cody Bellinger (Cubs) and José Abreu (Astros)

Question: Five active second basemen have hit at least 100 home runs in their careers. One of them is Robinson Canó, who is technically still active because he hasn’t retired. Who are the other four?

(For this question, a player must have played at least 50% of his games at second base to qualify, so you will not find Marcus Semien or Javier Báez on this list.)

5. THE CLOSER from Emma Baccellieri

V.J. Lovero/Sports Illustrated

Happy early birthday to Rickey Henderson! He turns 64 on Christmas, and while there’s any number of statistics to demonstrate just how incredible he was, here’s one that particularly struck me: Henderson stole more than 50 bases each season from 1980 to ’86. That’s seven consecutive seasons of 50-plus SB, a standard so unthinkable for modern baseball that you have to completely shift the parameters of your search to find anything mildly, remotely close: In the last 10 seasons, there has been one player with seven non-consecutive seasons of more than 25 stolen bases. (That’s Starling Marte—Trea Turner and Jarrod Dyson are right behind with six such seasons each.) In other words, MLB doesn’t have anyone right now who’s been even half the base-stealer that Henderson was at the start of his career. (Or the middle or, frankly, the end: It’s been over a decade since anyone stole more than 65 bases. Yet Henderson did it at age 39 in ’98.) So a happy birthday to the Man of Steal, and may the new year with its new rules, bigger bases and all, bring us more action on the basepaths.

That’s all from us today. We’ll be back in your inbox next week. In the meantime, share this newsletter with your friends and family, and tell them to sign up at SI.com/newsletters. If you have any questions or comments, shoot us an email at mlb@si.com.