NY Yankees: Here’s what a Carlos Correa addition would give them

With the MLB lockout in full effect, NY Yankee fans remain at the edge of their seats awaiting a verdict on free agent shortstop, Carlos Correa.

Correa has reportedly already turned down a 10-year/$275 million contract from the Detroit Tigers, which supposedly led them to immediately pivot to Javier Baez for a 6-year contract.

The Tigers, by many people’s estimation, were one of the best fits for the All Star shortstop, so theoretically knocking that option off the board opens up the game for a major player in the Yankees to swoop in and steal perhaps the most coveted free agent in this year’s class.

What Carlos Correa would give the Yankees

When the discussion of Correa potentially going to the Yankees comes up, one can’t help but draw comparisons to one Alex Rodriguez– one of the great villains in MLB history.

A-Rod’s numbers through his first seven years kick Correa’s to the curb:

Correa has 2 All Star Games while A-Rod had 4 by year 8.

Correa is a .277 hitter while A-Rod was a .309 hitter.

Correa has 133 home runs and 489 RBIs while A-Rod had 189 homers and 595 ribbies.

A-Rod also differs from Carlos in that it wasn’t until after he became a Yankee that the villain role took him over, while Carlos would be coming into New York already a villain for his role in the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal.

However, the villainy aura that encompasses each player bears an eerily similar makeup.

Both guys are similar in body type, athleticism, and boisterous personality that invokes strong reactions from colleagues and constituents.

But the major quality that separates both of these superstar players is their leadership. Primarily, their ability to deflect negative attention off others and onto them.

The Yankees are used to being seen as the bad guys. Most dynasties are. The term “Evil Empire” did not come unwarranted.

But what A-Rod was able to provide this franchise was a singular face to hate, rather than the entirety of the clubhouse on year’s end.

What made Derek Jeter such a beloved “good guy” was his stark contrast to the “bad guy” in Rodriguez.

The Yankees were always the team to beat- it’s seemingly been that way since the beginning of time. But in a way, Alex’s ability to draw such negative attention almost made guys like Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera etc. (some of the most intense players ever) sympathetic figures.

You hated the Yankees, but then again, you also kind of rooted for them because you wanted the “good” like Jeter, Posada, Mo etc. to outweigh the “evil” like A-Rod.

Compare that to the effect Carlos Correa had on the Houston Astros the past several years.

The Astros stole signs and banged on trash cans to relay pitches to active batters. An act so apparently egregious it has made steroid users appear “cute” and “awww shucks.”

The result, however, was that the ‘Stros became the most hated team in baseball, and star players like Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, George Springer, and Carlos Correa found themselves firmly in the crosshairs.

For the amount of hate Altuve got, and still gets, you can almost guarantee it would be ten times worse had it not been for Correa deflecting that attention off Altuve and onto himself through instances such as the “Coddy Bellinger” interview he did with Ken Rosenthal, as well as the Joe Kelly dustup.

Carlos has made himself the new villain of MLB, deflecting attention off of his teammates and onto himself in hopes of keeping guys like Altuve and Bregman on their games.

Why?

As Gary Oldman famously said in The Dark Knight, “because he can take it.”

Say what you want about his abrasiveness and his (at times) unprofessionalism, what Carlos Correa does better than just about anybody in baseball today is lead. He’s not afraid to paint a target on his back and operate at a high level under that added pressure. Just like A-Rod used to do.

That is what the Yankees are getting if they add Correa- a guy who will once again make you hate the Yankees while simultaneously rooting for them.

Bring Correa on board and watch how free and easy Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gleyber Torres will operate.

Carlos takes the pressure off these guys, and that may just be what the Yankees need if they want to get back to a World Series.