New York Media Thinks Mets Are Better Off Without Carlos Correa

Carlos Correa plays for the Minnesota Twins. But for much of last offseason, such a reality seemed like a far-off fairy tale. Especially when news broke two different times that Correa had signed a $300+ million contracts, first with the San Francisco Giants, then when that fell through after a failed physical, with the New York Mets.

But, another failed physical foiled billionaire owner Steven Cohen’s plan to add Correa into the middle of an already stacked lineup. The rest is history. The 28-year-old who may or may not have future ankle issues signed a 6-year, $200 million deal with the Twins that could reach 10-years, $275 million if Mets and Giants doctors are wrong and Correa continues to produce into his late-30’s.

Well-Paid Mets Struggle Out of 2023 Gates

Fast forward about 40 days into the 2023 season and things aren’t going well for Mets faithful in the Big Apple. Cohen’s overpaid squad is off to a slow 18-20 start, good for 4th place in the NL East, 7.5 games back of the 1st place Braves.

A deeper dive shows why the Mets are bad right now. Their offense is nearly as cold as the Twins’. ranking 22nd leaguewide in batting average (.236), 17th in OPS (.708), and 23rd in RBI (151). But unlike the Twins, the Mets’ pitching has been even worse than their anemic offense, ranking 23rd in ERA (4.73), 24th in ERA+ (90), 28th in FIP (4.96) and they’ve allowed the 3rd most home runs (53).

NY Post reporter thankful Mets didn’t land Carlos Correa…

But instead of worrying about the struggles their own local team is facing, New York media is turning their attention to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Because that is where former near-Met, Carlos Correa, is riding an early season struggle bus of his own.

In a NY Post article on Friday morning titled, “Imagine if the Mets had signed Carlos Correa“, author Mike Puma cannot even fathom how bad things would be for a slow-starting Correa in New York.

The best signing in Mets history could turn out to be one that owner Steve Cohen didn’t complete. By that we mean the deal that fizzled in January that would have brought Carlos Correa to Queens on a mega-contract extending into the next decade.

You think the Mets have problems now? Imagine Correa entrenched at third base with his .191/.272/.374 slash line and getting booed mercilessly at Citi Field. Buck Showalter would be facing questions about whether Correa belonged in the middle of the batting order, if the manager hadn’t dropped him in the lineup already.

Mike Puma – New York Post

Sure, Mike… how could one of the most clutch playoff performers in MLB history — the same dude who faces cheating scandal boo’s at every road stadium he’s played in for over two seasons — possibly handle angry Mets fans or New York media members saying, writing or tweeting mean things about him?

Keep in mind, Mets’ shortstop Francisco Lindor ($32 million per year) is batting .224 with a .751 OPS and he’s survived New York cynicism so far this season. And the position Correa would have played, 3rd base, is currently being platooned by an over-the-hill Eduardo Escobar (20 G, .159 BA, .571 OPS) and 22-year-old rookie, Brett Baty (20 G, .246 BA, .713 OPS).

Brandon Nimmo gets in on the bit

Puma tried desperately to get someone in the Mets’ locker room to say they are better off without Correa. Finally, after badgering Brandon Nimmo with every hypothetical possibility, the Mets’ center fielder finally gave him the quotes he needed to finish this story. Nimmo told Puma that the Mets’ current lineup doesn’t really have room for Correa (haha), before admitted that Carlos’ early season struggles in Minnesota would have been tough to deal with in New York’s media market.

“I think [Correa] would’ve been a great player to have,” Brandon Nimmo told Post Sports+ this week. “But I’ve been really happy with Brett [Baty]’s at-bats, and we’ve almost got like a logjam in the infield right now, where [Ronny] Mauricio is tearing it up down there in Syracuse and we just don’t have anywhere to put [Correa] right now.”

Nimmo pointed out that Correa would be hitting in a different lineup and would have played a different schedule in possibly friendlier weather conditions than in Minnesota had he signed with the Mets, so he isn’t totally convinced the former All-Star’s slow start would have occurred in New York.

But Nimmo acknowledged if Correa did struggle in a similar manner with the Mets, the outside noise would be loud. “That would have been tough, and that’s tough to do in New York,” Nimmo said.

Mike Puma – New York Post

Delusion vs Reality

If you think the New York Mets are better off this season, or in the near future, without Carlos Correa, then you’re either delusional or you don’t know ball. Every baseball player, even the great ones, go through cold spells.

Any betting man with half of a brain would put a lot of money down on a Carlos Correa hot streak hitting in the very near future. Any ball guy who has been paying attention for the last decade expects Correa’s offensive production to improve toward his career mean, as the season goes on. That the 29-year-old will eventually revert back to the late-season MVP-caliber monster who demanded multiple $300+ million contract offers last offseason.

Hopefully, Mike Puma and the rest of Mets nation have taken their reality medication by then.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan