The Detroit Tigers were perfectly positioned to sign Carlos Correa. His former manager, A.J. Hinch, was already on the bench. The Tigers were looking to come out of their rebuild and had plenty of money to spend. That was proven with their reported offer to Correa – a ten year deal worth $275 million.
But Correa threw a wrench into those plans. He turned down the Tigers’ offer, seeking more money than he had been offered. The Tigers quickly pivoted to Javier Baez, leaving Correa out on the market without a firm offer in hand.
Carlos Correa will regret turning down Detroit Tigers’ offer
Correa does have plenty of teams interested in his services. The Astros would like to bring him back, even if he had seemingly slammed that door shut on his way into free agency. Correa and the Cubs have mutual interest, especially after their fans sang a carol about him. Other teams, such as the Yankees, Phillies, and Dodgers, could use a shortstop.
But he may be hard pressed to match the offer the Tigers made. The Astros have been clear about refusing to go beyond five or six years for any contract, either in free agency or an extension. The Cubs are likewise uninterested in a ten year deal and may be looking at the five or six year time frame the Astros have indicated.
As the other teams in need of a shortstop are targeting other areas on their roster, Correa remains without a firm destination. Yes, he is the top player available in free agency, but he may have overplayed his hand as he hoped to surpass Corey Seager’s deal with the Rangers.
There is no question that Correa will get paid. He is certainly going to receive an impressive contract and will likely approach $30 million, or more, per year. However, at this point, it is difficult to imagine that he will receive a contract similar to what the Tigers offered.
The Detroit Tigers made an impressive offer to Carlos Correa. Chances are, he will come to regret turning that contract down.