The next chapter of San Francisco Giants baseball will be authored by Carlos Correa.
Correa, the all-world shortstop, reportedly agreed to a 13-year, $350 million deal with the Giants. In an offseason at risk of coming and going without any fireworks, the Giants found their next franchise cornerstone.
Correa is a two-time All-Star, platinum glove winner and World Series champion. He’s hit 155 home runs in his eight seasons and holds career splits of .279/.357/.467.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report the signing.
Correa’s $350 million deal is the second largest of this offseason — just shy in total value of Aaron Judge’s nine-year, $360 million pact. It’s one of the longest deals ever awarded and the fourth biggest in terms of overall dollars. The contract will take Correa through his age-41 season.
The Giants were reportedly bidding for Correa against the incumbent Twins, Yankees and possibly the Mets. To salvage a winter that would have underwhelmed anxious fans, they came out on top.
Houston selected Correa with the first overall pick in the 2012 draft out of Puerto Rico. Three years later, he won American League Rookie of the Year. That early production only foreshadowed more success from the ultra talented Correa. He’s hit at least 20 home runs in six of his seven full seasons.
With Correa, the Giants will have to make a decision on where to play Brandon Crawford. Crawford, 35, declined both at the plate and in the field last year, but is the franchise’s greatest shortstop ever and hasn’t played another position in his 12-year career.
Regardless of if Crawford moves off position for the final year of his contract, Correa projects as a long-term answer there. Since he debuted in 2015 at 20-years-old, Correa ranks 16th in Fangraphs WAR among position players. He won a Gold Glove two years ago and is viewed as one of the best fielders in the game.
Correa also has the intangibles clubs aim to build around. His .849 OPS in the playoffs is even better than that of his career and — despite his involvement in Houston’s sign-stealing scandal — is a respected presence in the clubhouse.
At the end of the Giants’ 2022 season in which the team went 81-81, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi repeatedly described this offseason as “big.” Although it didn’t start as such, Correa’s signing makes good on that promise.