The San Francisco Giants finally completed a prized free agent acquisition this offseason.
After being linked to several high profile FA’s in recent weeks, the Giants front office officially inked shortstop Carlos Correa to a massive 13 year, $350M contract.
Correa’s deal is the richest ever for the shortstop position and includes a full no trade clause and a contract without any opt outs. The 28 year old will now be tied to the franchise into his 40’s and figures to be a cornerstone player for San Francisco to build around for years to come.
After turning down a 5yr/$160M contract extension with the Astros, Correa hit the open market last year in search of a $300M+ deal. When no such offer materialized, he bet on himself and signed a short term contract with the Minnesota Twins with an opt out clause which he triggered after one year.
During his stint with the Twins, the World Series winning shortstop hit .291 with 22HRs, 70Rs, and 64RBIs, while recording a WAR value of 5.4. For his efforts, Correa pocketed $35.1M before once again testing the market via agency.
His faith in himself paid off as he’s now signed the 4th richest contract of all time in terms of total value, trailing only Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and Aaron Judge’s new deal. The $350M figure also bests the previous shortstop records of $341M and $340M signed by Francisco Lindor and Fernando Tatis Jr respectively.
The normally frugal Giants clearly valued Correa’s versatility as well as postseason resume, as he became the first player since Johnny Cueto in 2015 to receive a contract in excess of $100M with the club.
Over his 8 year career, the former number 1 overall pick in the MLB draft has accumulated a 40rWAR rating. During that span only Trout, Betts, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, and Manny Machado have a better rating than Correa.
A 2x All-Star, Correa has also captured a gold & platinum glove award, and was named the AL Rookie of the Year in 2015.
For the Giants, they’re hoping that Correa’s glove and bat will help them return to the postseason following a disappointing 81-81 campaign in 2022.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.