Carlos Correa has ‘no hard feelings’ toward Mets, Giants

Despite the high-profile failure of negotiations with two ball clubs this offseason, All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa insists he harbors no ill will toward either the Mets or the Giants.

Both teams agreed on massive deals for the dynamic 28-year-old but eventually pulled out over concerns about his physical condition, resulting in Correa staying in Minnesota for $200 million — significantly less than he did with the Mets or Giants would have gotten.

“There are no negative feelings towards either organization. There’s nothing but respect for them,” Correa told The Athletic. “Doctors have differences of opinion. It’s good. But God brought me here to the Minnesota Twins. I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity.”

Correa underwent ankle surgery as a minor league player in 2014, two years after he was selected #1 overall by the Astros in the 2012 MLB Draft. The procedure consisted of repairing a fractured fibula and ligament damage, which to date has not caused any significant problems.

“The Giants used an ankle specialist who didn’t pass me,” he said. “Then the Mets used the same specialist who obviously didn’t want to pass me. He had already given an opinion on my ankle to another team. He wouldn’t change anything about that. He would of course stand by what he said because he believed it.”

Correa also said his side received different opinions.

“We got other ankle specialists to look at this and say it would be fine, orthopedic surgeons who know me, even the one who operated on me,” he said.

A big question regarding Correa’s potential stint with the Mets was whether he could play alongside good friend and colleague Boricua Francisco Lindor, the team’s current shortstop, like an arrangement Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez once worked out in the same city had. Correa insisted in discussions with Lindor that this would never have been a problem.

“I never wanted to step on his toes,” Correa said. “The words would never come out of my mouth, ‘I want to play shortstop.’ No form of betrayal of him would ever come out of my mouth.

“From the moment the deal was struck, I was determined to play third base every day. That would never change. I wanted him to know that I would always be loyal. I would always be there for him whatever he needed. Just making sure we left everything clear. When players of our two calibers play shortstop and there’s a switch, there’s always some animosity. I wanted to make sure he knew from the start that I was okay with playing third base. I wanted to move, no problem.”

After December’s MLB Winter Meetings, Correa agreed to a whopping 13-year, $350 million deal with the Giants that would have been the richest contract in the San Francisco-based club’s history. The deal also included a full no-trade clause and no opt-outs.

However, the Giants ultimately nullified what would have been the fourth-largest guarantee in MLB history due to a failed physical condition.

The Mets swooped in and agreed to a 12-year, $315 million deal, but later also canceled the contract. They were willing to guarantee up to $157.5 million — exactly half of the previous $315 million — but the twins were willing to go much higher in their negotiations.

Correa will start his ninth MLB season this spring. The two-time 2017 All-Star and World Series champion hit .291 with an OPS of .834, hit 22 home runs and recorded 64 RBIs with the Twins last season.