Could this be the scenario where the Yankees sign Carlos Correa?

It could well be a $320 million question, but which team will sign free agent shortstop Carlos Correa once the Major League Baseball lockout ends? Could it still be the New York Yankees, but in a scenario that nets them Correa and ensures they can keep outfielder Aaron Judge as well?

Is this the scenario where the New York Yankees sign free agent shortstop Carlos Correa?

In a recent article by Joel Sherman of The New York Post, the writer floats the idea that the Yankees could still sign Correa to a deal, but a deal that is unlike the one predicted by MLBTradeRumors (MLBTR) that has the 27-year-Correa getting paid $320 million over 10 years.

Knowing that a costly extension for Aaron Judge is looming, could the Yankees net Correa with fewer years, but a higher average annual value (AAV) per year, leaving money in the coffers to help with Judge’s extension (he is due to be a free agent after the 2022 season)? That’s the rationale behind Sherman’s option of a five-year, $200 million deal, an AAV of $40 million per season that could land Correa in pinstripes.

The AAV of $40 million would far outweigh the $32 million AAV that would be in the MLBTR prediction. However, it would also mean that the contract would end with Correa being 32 and presumably still with years to play. Would Correa ink a shorter deal knowing his value may never be higher than it is now?

With the knowledge that fellow shortstops Francisco Lindor inked a 10-year, $341 million deal before the 2021 season and Corey Seager signed a 10-year, $325 million contract with the Texas Rangers just before the lockout began, would Correa accept a smaller, shorter deal? It likely all depends on when the lockout ends and what the market for Correa becomes. Necessity might be the only force that would push Correa into this deal, but it’s not an impossible scenario.

Sources have indicated that the Yankees may choose a “stopgap” option at shortstop for the 2022 campaign, opting to save the money that would be spent on a Correa or Trevor Story while biding time for a top prospect like Oswald Peraza or Anthony Volpe to take over at shortstop. That may be New York’s choice if Correa’s price tag is over $300 million, but if it drops into the $200 million category, that thought process could change quickly.