The Mets have had a spending spree this offseason, signing Justin Verlander, Kodai Sengabringing back Brandon Nimmoamong other moves, and it doesn’t look like the team is done.
In fact, owner Steve Cohen was really entertaining the thought of adding Carlos Correa to the mix.
When The Athletic reported that the Mets were checking in on Correa, it was a surprise to many. Cohen and GM Billy Eppler have seemingly come out of nowhere to try and snag another big name for their pursuit of a World Series championship.
“We thought maybe [Correa] might fall to us,” Cohen told The New York Post. “He’s a great leader and a good guy. He could play third base. And he’s a great defender.”
The plan was to have Correa play third base on the same side of the field as a fellow countryman Francisco Lindor. Having Correa and Lindor on the same team is a fantasy owner’s dream, and would have solved a question mark about third base this upcoming season.
Veteran infielder Eduardo Escobar had an up-and-down season in his first year in Flushing, and prospect Brett Baty was sidelined due to injury. Adding Correa would have set the Mets up at the position for the next decade.
Cohen gave a call to Correa’s agent Scott Boras to see if there was an avenue for the 28-year-old to sign with the Mets, but he was told that they were already too far with another team.
“We got there late,” Cohen said about the last-minute attempt at Correa.
Correa wound up signing a 13-year, $350 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, the largest ever for a free agent shortstop. That deal turned out to be about $50 million more than what the Mets would have initially offered.
Another $300 million contract on the books would have given the Mets their second such deal, the other being Lindor’s, but money doesn’t seem to be an issue for Cohen. Entering his third season as owner, Cohen has spent nearly half a billion dollars on free agents this offseason and will likely continue to spend in pursuit of the Mets’ first championship since 1986.
“No one likes to spend money. But this is the price,” Cohen said. “I made a commitment to the fans. If it means I have to spend money to fulfill that commitment, so be it.”
The current Mets payroll is about $350 million with a tax that has surpassed $70 million. But Cohen tells The Post that there is still work to be done.
“My team is good. But it isn’t that much better than last year,” Cohen said. “If you want a team that’s good, this is what it costs. What are you going to do?”