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MLB Rumors: Carlos Correa to Sign $315M Mets Contract; Backs Out of $350M Giants Deal
Dec 21, 2022
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 27: Carlos Correa #4 of the Minnesota Twins throws the ball to first base to get out Josh Harrison #5 of the Chicago White Sox in the third inning of the game at Target Field on September 27, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the White Sox 4-0. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The offseason of Steve Cohen continued with a stunning turn of events Wednesday when Carlos Correa agreed to a deal with the New York Mets.
Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Correa hammered out a 12-year, $315 million contract with the Mets after his pact with the San Francisco Giants fell through.
Correa and the Giants were set to announce his 13-year, $350 million deal Tuesday, but Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reported the team postponed the press conference less than three hours before its 11 a.m. local time start.
Per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press, the Giants postponed the press conference because of a "medical concern" that arose from Correa's physical.
Heyman noted Correa will play third base, as Francisco Lindor is entrenched as the Mets' starting shortstop.
There were rumblings that Cohen was trying to get in on Correa before he agreed to a deal with the Giants.
Speaking to Heyman on Dec. 17, the Mets owner said he was told by Correa's agent, Scott Boras, they were "already down the road" with San Francisco by the time the Mets tried to get in on the two-time All-Star.
"We thought maybe he might fall to us," Cohen said.
After the Mets stole Correa from San Francisco, Cohen told Heyman he thought the team needed "one more thing" to help it win a World Series.
"This was important … This puts us over the top," he said. "This is a good team. I hope it's a good team!"
While it's not unheard of for an agreement to fall through because of a medical concern, the Mets' swooping in to get Correa at the eleventh hour speaks to how committed Cohen is in his attempt to bring a championship to Queens.
Assuming Correa's deal gets finalized, the Mets will come out of this offseason with arguably the best position player and starting pitcher (Justin Verlander) on the free-agent market. They also added Japanese star Kodai Senga and re-signed Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo.
Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Mets are projected to pay a total of $495 million between payroll ($384 million) and luxury-tax payments ($111) in 2023.
The 2015 Los Angeles Dodgers previously held the record for highest payroll in MLB history at $291 million.
Adding Correa to a lineup that includes Lindor, Nimmo, Pete Alonso, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Jeff McNeil has the potential to give the Mets the best offense in MLB.
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Why Lamar Jackson's Injury Can Only Strengthen His NFL Contract Leverage in 2023
Dec 21, 2022
Lamar Jackson
The Baltimore Ravens are closely monitoring the health of star quarterback Lamar Jackson, and for good reason. Jackson, who is dealing with a knee injury, has missed Baltimore's last two games. The Ravens are trying to keep pace with the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North but have gone 1-1 without him, losing to the Cleveland Browns and squeaking by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jackson's injury could also heavily impact his future in Baltimore, and not for the most obvious of reasons.
First, let's dive into what's immediately ahead and what's at stake.
Baltimore (9-5) sits a game behind Cincinnati in the AFC North, but it holds the first head-to-head tiebreaker. If the Ravens can win out at home against the Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh and in Cincinnati in Week 18, they'll claim the AFC North crown and host a playoff game.
It's unknown whether Jackson will make his return in Week 16.
John Harbaugh declined to say whether Ravens QB Lamar Jackson will return this week after missing two games with a knee injury.
Harbaugh said he is going to "climb behind the barricade" of not divulging injury information because of competitive reasons.
Could the Ravens get past Atlanta without Jackson? Maybe, but they fell flat with Tyler Huntley under center against Cleveland. Baltimore ran the ball well but couldn't pass when it needed to. Huntley finished just 17-of-30 for 138 yards with an interception.
Unlike the Browns, Atlanta has been respectable against the run, ranking 11th in yards per carry allowed (4.3).
The Ravens cannot afford a slip-up against Atlanta, or any team, if they hope to guarantee themselves a playoff bid. Baltimore cannot clinch a playoff spot in Week 16 with a win alone. Every loss the Ravens accumulate opens the door for another team to push them out of the postseason.
This is exactly how things unfolded in 2021 when Jackson missed the final four weeks with an ankle injury (he missed a fifth during the season with an illness). The two-time Pro Bowler was injured early in Week 14, and Baltimore fell from 8-4 to 8-9 and missed the playoffs.
Things could shape up for an eerily similar run if Jackson cannot return before season's end.
Regardless of how things unfold in 2022, missing extended time late in back-to-back seasons will likely be a factor when the quarterback and the Ravens negotiate his next contract in the offseason.
Jackson is slated to become a free agent in March. According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, he seeks a fully guaranteed contract like the one Deshaun Watson received from the rival Browns.
"Fully guaranteed money is believed to be at the heart of the issue," Rapoport wrote in September. "Jackson is seeking as close to $230 million as possible, choosing to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract until he gets his desired deal."
Watson didn't play in 2021 and missed the first 11 games of this season while serving a suspension for violation of the league's personal conduct policy after 25 women filed lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault or misconduct.
Watson and the Browns faced questions about his character and his ability to be an elite franchise quarterback after a lengthy layoff when he got his deal. The only question around Jackson—who was, by the way, the unanimous 2019 MVP—is his durability. And that has only become a concern over the past two years.
Though it's not as if Jackson plays recklessly, his dual-threat play style exposes him to more contact than a traditional pocket passer might face. Some contingent of the Ravens front office might view his injury history as a reason not to guarantee the entirety of his deal.
Franchise owner Steve Bisciotti has gone on record as not being a fan of fully guaranteed deals.
"To me, that's something that is groundbreaking, and it'll make negotiations harder with others," Bisciotti told reporters in March.
In reality, though, Jackson's late-season absences tilt the leverage in his favor.
Baltimore has spent the better part of five seasons crafting an offense to suit Jackson and his unique skill set. The Ravens have eschewed a true No. 1 receiver because Jackson can dissect defenses using star tight end Mark Andrews and a handful of complementary guys. They've built a committee backfield instead of finding an All-Pro ball-carrier because Jackson is a proven 1,000-yard rusher.
J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards are fine complementary backs, but neither has proved himself to be (or remained healthy enough to be) a true featured back.
Baltimore traded a Pro Bowl offensive tackle in Orlando Brown because with Jackson's ability to escape, the line doesn't have to be elite at every position.
The problem is that the team Baltimore has constructed doesn't work without Jackson—even if the Ravens want to pretend it can.
"I've got confidence in everybody," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters Monday when asked about the offense's struggles. "We have great coaches and great players at the highest level, battling every single day to get everything as good as it can be."
It won't be as good as it can be with anyone other than Jackson under center. Games without him have proved that. Huntley can escape the pocket, be a dual threat and run Baltimore's offense, but he doesn't see the field as clearly as Jackson.
Take this missed touchdown opportunity against Cleveland as an example:
Mark Andrews hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 6, but there have been opportunities. Snoop missed a shot over the top here in the red zone. pic.twitter.com/syBsUoxXhj
Over the past two weeks, Huntley has gone 25-of-42 for 226 yards and an interception. If the Steelers hadn't lost their starting quarterback, Kenny Pickett, to a concussion in Week 14, Huntley would probably be 0-2 this season. He went 1-3 as a starter in 2021.
It's not as if the Ravens will find a suitable replacement for this offense in free agency either. Impending free agents like Geno Smith, Mike White and Jimmy Garoppolo don't come close to mirroring Jackson's skill set.
Could Baltimore try its luck in the 2023 draft? Sure, a player like Bryce Young or Anthony Richardson might become a franchise quarterback, but it's a crapshoot. Why take such a huge risk at the game's most important position when a 25-year-old franchise quarterback is in the building?
The Ravens shouldn't take that risk, and Jackson knows it. This is why he can essentially tell the Ravens, "Give me the long-term contract I want or have fun trying to rebuild without me."
And the Ravens would have to rebuild a lot to be successful with a different quarterback. It wouldn't be cheap.
Consider the cost of signing a quality dual-threat back like impending free agent Kareem Hunt and acquiring a top-end receiver like, say, DK Metcalf. Hunt has a projected market value of $6.9 million annually. Metcalf just signed an extension worth $24 million annually. Now add in the cost of a quarterback like Smith, who has a projected market value of $36.1 million annually.
That's $67 million in annual salary just to start transitioning to an offense that can be high-level without Jackson.
Or the Ravens can pay Jackson $45 million-plus annually, guarantee his contract and continue to build their offense.
The alternative to paying Jackson what he wants or starting over is using the franchise tag and locking in the Louisville product on a year-to-year basis. That might be viewed as a prudent move, given Jackson's injuries, but it's not cap-friendly.
The 2022 tag value for quarterbacks was $29.7 million. That number will rise significantly in 2023—especially if Jackson is given the exclusive tag—and would carry a minimum 20 percent raise in 2024 if he is tagged a second time.
An exclusive franchise tag for Lamar Jackson in 2023 currently calculates to $45.4M (thanks in large part to Deshaun Watson's $55M cap hit).
A tag in 2024 would then be $54.4M.
2022: $23M 2023: $45.4M 2024: $54.4M = $122.8M
Russell Wilson just locked in $124M over that span.
Tagging Jackson for the next two years will likely cost Baltimore $100 million in guaranteed money. Giving Watson $230 million guaranteed for an extra three seasons doesn't seem as bad in comparison—especially with quarterback contracts consistently on the rise.
This is assuming Jackson won't refuse to play on the franchise tag, which he easily could. He can point to his injuries, as well as the torn ACL suffered by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, and decide that it's less of a risk to sit for a year.
Watson got paid after sitting out a season, which leaves Baltimore with little leverage.
What are the Ravens going to do? Tell Jackson they're content to be an also-ran in a division poised to be dominated by Joe Burrow and the Bengals if he doesn't play? Threaten to start over and forge a more traditional offense while hoping for the best?
What the Ravens cannot do is point to their on-field success without Jackson and tell him that they don't need him. That success hasn't come, and they do.
While injuries are unfortunate and Jackson would undoubtedly rather be playing, his recent time off will work in his favor next spring. If Baltimore hopes to have the sustained success it has enjoyed with a healthy Jackson—three playoff appearances in his first three seasons—it'll have to pay the man what he wants.
Derrick Rose Talks Knicks Trade Rumors, Bulls Jersey Retirement, NBA Ownership, More
Dec 20, 2022
New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose eyes a rebound during an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose sat down with Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic to discuss a host of topics, including adapting to his new role out of the team's rotation, trade rumors and post-career insights such as the possibility of the Chicago Bulls retiring his jersey and a desire to become an NBA governor.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau made the decision to move Miles "Deuce" McBride into the rotation off the bench in favor of the 34-year-old, whose NBA accolades include three All-Star Game appearances and the 2010-11 NBA MVP award.
It's an unusual role for Rose, who has always carved out a niche wherever he's gone despite dealing with significant injuries that curbed his sky-high ceiling when the Bulls selected him No. 1 overall in the 2008 NBA draft out of Memphis.
Still, Rose is taking the decision in stride, even though he made clear that he still wants to play.
"I've learned a simple lesson: Still being here," Rose said in part.
"For one, I'm very appreciative to understand my role. I'm not here for entitlement, I'm not here feeling like I need minutes or anything like that. I'm just here to win and try to help the young guys out. I never thought I'd be in this position. I never thought I'd be playing this many years."
Rose has been out of the rotation for seven games. He played three minutes and 31 seconds at the end of the Knicks' 114-91 road win over the Bulls on Dec. 16 and received thunderous applause from his old home fans when he entered the game and hit a three-pointer.
Born and raised in Chicago, Rose led the Bulls to their best season (2010-11) since the end of the Michael Jordan era. Chicago finished first in the Eastern Conference behind Rose's MVP season but lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the conference finals.
He's still a legend in Chicago, however, and Charania brought up the possibility of his No. 1 being retired. Rose, who noted that he shies away from the fame, said in part:
"It's kind of awkward, where I feel it will be cool for my family to come to a jersey retirement ceremony like that. But I think about what would I have to say while I'm on the court. It's kind of weird. I'm there, but I think about, 'Damn, I'm going to have to speak to everybody at the celebration.' That's what I think about because I don't always like that moment."
For now, Rose still plays for a Knicks team that has won seven straight to move to 17-13 on the year. He holds a mentorship role for the young guards on the team (McBride, Jalen Brunson, Immanuel Quickley) despite being out of the rotation but noted that he's still prepared to return if his number is called.
"No, I want to play," Rose said. "But at the same time, there's still a lot of basketball left. Thibs (and I) always talk about it—he always says this is the bottom of the mountain, we got a whole mountain to climb. I just got to make sure that I'm always prepared."
Rose's name has popped up in traderumors and speculation, though, but he noted that the team has kept the lines of communication clear with him.
"The team is keeping communications open with me: When they told me I don't think that they want to move me like that, they know that I have a lot left, and they love my connection and relationship that I have with all of the players on the team," Rose said.
We'll find out if the Knicks decide to move Rose with the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaching, but as far as any post-career moves go, Rose appears interested in joining an ownership team.
"I'm into ownership," Rose said. "I feel like I saved up enough. It's not like I need a loan—I'm good. So I'm waiting. I'm waiting for my time."
For now, the Knicks will look for their eighth straight win when they host the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday evening.
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