What Was the Potential Issue With Carlos Correa's Physical?

In a shocking twist, free agent shortstop Carlos Correa appears to be heading to New York instead of San Francisco after a snag in his physical.

The Giants postponed his introductory press conference Tuesday, reportedly because the team was waiting on results from his physical. Seemingly overnight, Correa agreed to a 12-year, $315 million contract to head to the Mets.

The situation is a good reminder that all contracts are not final until the athlete passes the physical.

Correa still has to pass a physical with the Mets to make the signing official, although it's possible he already underwent a physical with the team and had an offer on the table.

Although we’ll likely never know what the issue was with his physical with the Giants, the team doctors for New York and San Francisco may have had the same medical opinion about Correa. It’s up to management to take that information and decide whether the player is worth the risk.

Correa played in 294 games from 2017 through 2019 – 60.5% of the games in that span – but has played in 342 of 384 games since 2020.

Lower back stiffness cost him 36 games in 2018 and lingered through the playoffs. His lower back cost him another 33 games in 2019. 

In 2017, Correa missed 42 games after suffering a torn ligament in his left thumb. However, he has not missed any other significant time.

The former No. 1 pick opted out of his 3-year, $105.3 million contact after one year in Minnesota. He was reportedly seeking a long-term deal last offseason, but his agent told teams they could only access information about his lower back issues if they “made a significant offer,” according to baseball insider Buster Olney.

That does not paint a rosy picture of the current health of Correa’s back, but it’s still possible a separate issue popped up on his physical with San Francisco.

When healthy, the ninth-year shortstop’s production has been worth the interest. He has a .279 batting average with 155 home runs and a .836 OPS across 8 seasons. 

Star slugger Aaron Judge reportedly turned down a $360 million offer from the Giants before signing his nine-year, $360 million deal to remain in New York.

Correa joins a Mets squad that already features shortstop Francisco Lindor, who signed a 10-year $341 million deal last offseason.

2023 World Series Odds

After the trade, the Mets are tied for the favorite to win the World Series along with the Astros, with both at +650, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Giants are at +5500.

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