Mets, Giants Get Last Laugh After Carlos Correa News

May 1, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa (1) reacts after hitting a solo home run against the Boston Red Sox during the third inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Mets, Giants Get Last Laugh After Carlos Correa News

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Curt Bishop | Last updated May 6, 2026 2:30 PM ET

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In the 2022-23 offseason, Carlos Correa was one of the top free agents available, and he was set to be one of Major League Baseball's highest paid players. In December, the San Francisco Giants were on the doorstep of signing him, and the two sides had agreed on a 13-year contract.

But at the last second, the Giants backed out due to medical concerns, leading the New York Mets to sign him to a 12-year, $315 million deal. However, it didn't take long for the Mets to do the same, and after several weeks of negotiating, he returned to the Minnesota Twins.

Now back with the Houston Astros, Correa is out for the remainder of the 2026 season due to an injury on the same ankle that caused New York and San Francisco to back out. At the time, the Mets and Giants looked foolish for doing this. Now, it appears they were the smart ones in the room, and they ultimately got the last laugh.

Mets, Giants dodged bullet with Correa

In the end, the Mets and Giants dodged a bullet. Correa could have ended up being a franchise player for both teams, but in the end, they were correct to flag the issues with his ankle. Ultimately, the Twins averted disaster as well when they traded him back to Houston last year at the trade deadline.

While Correa is still a game-changing player, there is ultimately a reason as to why the Giants and Mets backed out, and in hindsight, it was the right decision to do so, or else, they would be saddled with paying his salary while he's not playing, and that is no place for an organization to be.

The Astros weren't even the ones to sign him that offseason, yet now, they are the ones paying the price. It also serves as a grim reminder that splashy signings often look good at first, but sometimes, things like this happen and the move turns out to not be a fruitful endeavor.

The Giants and Mets have strong financial resources, but even for big-market teams, things like this can be devastating in terms of payroll and other resources, so in the end, they were the ones that made the right decision and moved on from Correa when they realized something was wrong.

It will be interesting to see if Correa can get back to his old form after this injury, but now the Mets and Giants appear to be the smartest ones in the room.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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