Carlos Correa contract with San Francisco Giants marks MLB first

Carlos Correa’s contract with the San Francisco Giants has already sent shockwaves throughout major league baseball.

His 13 year deal worth $350 million set a record for a shortstop, surpassing Francisco Lindor’s extension with the Mets. While players have received exorbitant contracts this offseason, Lindor’s deal was still a surprise.

Carlos Correa surpasses milestone with San Francisco Giants deal

This contract is also notable for another reason. Correa’s deal with the Giants will pay him through 2035, ending just after he turns 41 years old. The length of that contract also means that Correa has signed the first deal that will pay an active player once Bobby Bonilla has received his final paycheck from the Mets.

Bonilla is still getting paid $1.12 million by the Mets in deferred salary. Those payments will continue through July 1, 2035, when he is 72 years old. It was one of the greatest financial decisions ever made by a player as he ensured his future would be taken care of far beyond his playing days.

But those payments are going to come to an end. That time will be in 2035, the final Bobby Bonilla Day to be celebrated with that payout. Hopefully, the Mets will find a way to honor Bonilla at that time, possibly handing him one of those large checks in a ceremony at Citi Field.

Correa will be in the final days of his deal with the Giants at that time. His career will likely be coming to an end shortly thereafter as he will have an eye towards retirement and, if he continues to produce at his present rate, Cooperstown as well. His becoming the first major leaguer to sign a contract paying him for longer than Bonilla will be just another footnote by that time. However, it is certainly notable now.

Carlos Correa set a record with his San Francisco Giants contract. That deal will also make him the first active player to be paid when Bobby Bonilla’s payouts are over.