Reports: Mets Sign Carlos Correa in Shocking Move!

We all woke up to the stunning news Wednesday morning that the Mets swooped in and signed Carlos Correa to a whopping 12-year, $315 million contract overnight. What is going on in Flushing?!

To recap, last week the Mets made an 11th hour bid to sign Correa before he agreed to a 13-year, $350 contract with the Giants. San Francisco was supposed to make it official on Tuesday, but the introduction was abruptly canceled after something popped up on his medical exam. What that something is is not known.

But whatever it is did not deter Steve Cohen, who then reached into his couch cushions and came up with the petty cash to pay Correa. The Gold Glove shortstop will man third base next to his pal Francisco Lindor on the left side of the Mets infield.

So first of all, how good is Correa? Well, his numbers do not jump off the page. He’s a mid-20s home run guy, driving in more than 90 runs just twice in eight years. His career batting average is a solid if unspectacular .279. The main problem is his health — he’s only had at least 500 at bats in three of his seasons. That include the last two years, so perhaps things are looking up. There’s no telling how high Correa can fly if he’s healthy (a big if, apparently). But he’s only 28, so he might just be entering his prime. I’ve been saying since last offseason that the Mets needed one more big bat. Well, now they’ve got it.

As far as the Mets payroll, who cares? Reports say it is upwards of $385 million (I will do my own assessment later today. Maybe tomorrow). Even if this or other deals don’t work out, Cohen has proven he will just throw more money at the problem. With an owner like that, really there are no bad contracts. And after years of living through the Wilpons and their penny-pinching ways, Mets fans deserve to live in the first-class cabin like this.

Before this move, it was questionable whether the Mets were actually any better than they were last season, when they won 101 games. There is no question now — they are indeed a better team. This will be a very fun season to watch.