The Carlos Correa saga looks like it's finally coming to an end, and as expected, the San Francisco Giants will not land the star shortstop. Correa has reportedly agreed to a six-year, $200 million guarantee with the Minnesota Twins, with another four year and $70 million available via vesting options based on plate appearances. All of this begs the question: Should the SF Giants have made this same offer to Correa? The Giants originally agreed to terms with Correa on a 13-year, $350 million deal about a month ago. The Giants backed out of the deal because of an issue that came up during his physical, and the Mets had the same concerns after they came to terms on a 12-year, $315 million deal. When all is said and done, Correa may end up losing out on $150 million because of these medical issues.
Perhaps the SF Giants simply saw too much risk with Correa's health to justify signing him for even 6/$200 million. But it is surprising that the smaller-market Twins were able to be the most aggressive and take on the most risk when compared to the Giants and Mets. Unfortunately, we just don't know enough details to have a fully formed opinion. Hopefully the Giants and their reporters are able to share more information in the coming days and weeks, particularly once Correa's deal with Minnesota is finalized, as is expected. It's also possible that the Giants' payroll simply wouldn't accommodate another $30+ million player. That would push them into the luxury tax, which might be something Farhan Zaidi has been told he isn't allowed to do. Once the Giants' deal with Correa fell apart, they quickly pivoted to other options that pushed them up to the same level they were at with Correa in the fold.
Switching gears, Brandon Belt signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. Belt had been a key member of the Giants' organization for more than a decade, and he will be missed. Belt was consistently a strong and underrated performer for the Giants, and he was their starting first baseman for a long time. He was an on-base machine who provided excellent defense, but he was injury prone and streaky, leading in part to the famous Belt Wars. We at Locked On Giants wish nothing but the best to Belt as he begins a new chapter in Toronto, and thank him deeply for his tremendous service to the team, both on and off the field.
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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.
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