FAQs regarding Carlos Correa, Mets negotiations

Major League Baseball is on Carlos Correa watch.

The 28-year-old star shortstop and his representation, led by Scott Boras, and the New York Mets are attempting to hammer out the finalization of a deal that brings the two-time All-Star to Queens for the foreseeable future.

Whether or not that’s for the full 12-year, $315 million pact that the two sides agreed upon last week obviously remains to be seen. The same issue that prompted the San Francisco Giants to back out of their 13-year, $350 million deal with Correa and allowed the Mets to swoop in has cropped up on his medicals with New York which has understandably opened the door for prolonged discourse.

It would have been surprising if the Mets and Correa’s camp immediately finalized that deal given the Giants’ sudden descent to cold feet after his physical results came down.

Correa broke his fibula during a minor-league game in 2014 that was surgically repaired, which is the reported issue. There haven’t been any problems regarding that area that has forced him to miss time at any point in his MLB career, but the due diligence done by now two teams that agreed to deals suggests that there is a sizable red flag connected to it.

Carlos Correa Mets — Carlos Correa (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Why are the Mets getting so much time?

It’s been a week since the Mets and Correa agreed to a deal — and Boras has given the Mets far more of a cushion to work with compared to the Giants.

The hold-up in any word on negotiations likely stems from the parsing of language in Correa’s contract. The two parties can take different roads to ultimately get to the signing of the dotted line — such as options included in the contract to protect the Mets.

On the surface, it seems the Mets have been far more willing to work with Correa compared to the Giants.

“We received notice from them that they wanted to continue to talk but they needed more time,” Boras said of the Giants last week. “But at that point in time, I told them I had to have a decision on whether they’re going to honor their letter of agreement that we had reached, and they said at that point in time they needed more information. They needed more discussion.

“They couldn’t but they wanted to continue to talk, but at this time they couldn’t go forward and then I advised them that I had to pursue alternative measures on behalf of Carlos with other teams.”

Amongst other considerations is the fact that there could very well be an unwillingness for Boras and Correa to go back to the open market after two decade-plus, nine-figure deals fell through due to medicals. Granted, this concept is mere speculation.

It’s important to note that the only people that legitimately know what’s going on is the two parties involved in talks. That’s the Mets and Correa’s camp.

How much longer can it take?

As most of the New York media would tell you, they wish they knew.

A recent example of a similar situation was in 2018 when the Boston Red Sox and JD Martinez agreed to a five-year, $110 million deal but didn’t finalize it until a week later.

Martinez’s physical — despite being fully healthy — yielded a potential issue stemming from a sprained Lisfranc ligament in his right foot that the Red Sox saw as a concern.

The Red Sox received multiple medical opinions on the matter and worked in options to protect both parties.

Martinez’s agent? Scott Boras.

So if history suggests anything, though it’s important to take it with a grain of salt, the resolution could come sooner rather than later.