So, Carlos Correa is actually going to the Mets

Carlos Correa

This is a new one for me. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like this before. All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants earlier this month.

But on Tuesday, the Giants canceled a press conference during which Correa was scheduled to be formally introduced. Apparently, something came up in Correa's physical that held up the deal.

So, Correa reopened his free agency late Tuesday, and by Wednesday morning, he had a 12-year, $315 million deal with the New York Mets. He'll no longer be a shortstop, because the Mets already have Francisco Lindor. Instead, he'll play third base.

On Wednesday, I saw an estimate that said the Mets' payroll would be an estimated $384 million, with luxury tax penalties totaling $111 million. Add it all up, and that equals $495 million.

According to reports late Wednesday, the Mets are trading struggling catcher James McCann to the Baltimore Orioles, so that sheds some payroll. Still, this is one expensive baseball team.

Here are the contracts the Mets have doled out this offseason:

• Correa, 12 years, $315 million
• Brandon Nimmo, eight years, $162 million
• Edwin Diaz, five years, $102 million
• Justin Verlander, two years, $86 million
• Kodai Senga, five years, $75 million
• Jose Quintana, two years, $26 million
• Omar Narvaez, two years, $15 million
• Adam Ottavino, two years, $14.5 million
• David Robertson, one year, $10 million 

That's a total of $806.1 million. 

We've talked about the White Sox giving $75 million to Andrew Benintendi, and how that's the richest deal in team history. For the Mets, $75 million would only be the fifth-highest deal they've handed out this offseason. Forget team history.

No wonder Jerry Reinsdorf voted against allowing Steve Cohen to buy the Mets.

Rumor mill: Mets reportedly interested in Liam Hendriks

This story popped up on MLB.com Tuesday. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported the New York Mets are talking to the White Sox about a trade for Liam Hendriks.

I've learned through the years to never say never, but I'm not seeing a match here. Earlier this offseason, the Mets retained their incumbent closer, Edwin Diaz, by signing him to a five-year, $102 million contract. New York does not need a ninth inning guy.

Not to mention, the Mets also signed David Robertson to a one-year deal. Robertson is a veteran reliever with ample closing experience, should Diaz get injured or falter. On Tuesday, the Mets signed reliever Adam Ottavino to a two-year, $14.5 million deal.

It seems to me that the Mets are set for innings 7, 8 and 9. I get that they are looking to accumulate an embarrassment of riches this offseason, so maybe that's why they've inquired about Hendriks.

That said, what is in it for the Sox? As all Sox fans know, the team has holes at second base and in right field. And Hendriks might be their most attractive trade chip. In my way of thinking, that means any trade involving Hendriks has to include a starting-caliber second baseman or outfielder coming the other way.

Are the Mets trading the Sox their starting second baseman, Jeff McNeil? I don't think so. Why would they do that going into a season where they have World Series expectations? Do the Mets have an extra left-handed corner outfielder that could start in right field for the Sox? No, it doesn't look like it to me. Maybe I'm wrong, and someone will correct me.

What's the motivation for the deal here, for either side?

I saw one proposal today that had the Mets acquiring Hendriks for a package of prospects. This also makes little sense. The Sox might be foolhardy in their belief that they can win in 2023, but the signing of Andrew Benintendi this past weekend signals they are still going for it.

And if they are going for it, why wouldn't they want Hendriks to continue as their closer?

Minnesota Twins without a shortstop so far this offseason

Catching up on some of the free agent signings from recent days:

• Dansby Swanson, Cubs, 7 years, $177 million
• Justin Turner, Boston Red Sox, 2 years, $21.7 million
• Michael Brantley, Houston Astros, 1 year, $12 million
• J.D. Martinez, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1 year, $10 million
• Joey Gallo, Minnesota Twins, 1 year, $11 million

Swanson was the last high-priced free agent to come off the board. As you can see from the list above, some of the late-career veterans are starting to sign short-term contracts. Brantley decided to stay where he's been in Houston. Turner went from Los Angeles to Boston, while Martinez when from Boston to Los Angeles. The two essentially swapped places.

My main takeaway on Swanson: The Twins are left without a shortstop to this point in the offseason. They sought to retain Carlos Correa, but they were outbid by the San Francisco Giants. Swanson seemed to be their fallback, but he chose to come to the North Side of Chicago.

Now, Minnesota is in a fix. The best free agent shortstop left on the market is ... probably Elvis Andrus, who had a resurgence with the White Sox at the end of 2022, but it's far from certain that the 34-year-old veteran can sustain that level of play moving forward.

The Twins ended up with Gallo to plug an outfield spot, while the Sox signed Andrew Benintendi on a five-year deal. That's a little surprising. At the start of the offseason, no one would have been shocked if Gallo had landed on the South Side on a short-term deal. The Twins seemed more likely to make a multiyear splash on somebody, either an outfielder or a shortstop.

I must say, I did not want Gallo on the Sox. He's a boom-or-bust player, and while I fully acknowledge that he could hit 40 homers for the Twins and make me eat my words, the Sox already have a little too much boom-or-bust in their everyday lineup.

The Sox were better off signing an outfielder who sets a higher floor at his position, and Benintendi is that guy. Gallo simply is not. 

Who are the top remaining free agents? Well, I wouldn't say there's anyone left you would call "top of market." Besides Andrus, Jean Segura and Brandon Drury are still out there as infielders. Michael Conforto is available for anyone still interested in an outfielder. Jurickson Profar would be an option for a team seeking an all-purpose type. Nathan Eovaldi is probably the best starting pitcher still out there. Need a closer? I'm not sure Craig Kimbrel will ever regain his "future Hall of Fame" form, but he's available.

Andrew Benintendi agrees to 5-year deal with White Sox

Andrew Benintendi

These days, a 12-pack of Pepsi costs $7.99 at regular price. That seems like a lot, but it's actually the going rate in today's inflationary economy.

Similarly, it costs about $15 million a year to add an average starting outfielder in free agency. That seems high, but when you look around baseball, it's actually about par.

And that's the way I look at the deal the White Sox gave left fielder Andrew Benintendi. According to sources, the 28-year-old agreed to terms Friday on a five-year, $75 million contract. It is the most lucrative deal the Sox have ever handed out in free agency.

That last sentence sounds weird to say, doesn't it? When you're handing out the biggest contract in team history, shouldn't that money be going to someone who is a perennial All-Star? You would think so, but that's not the way the Sox operate. 

What the Sox have done here is pay market rate for adequacy at a position, and there's really nothing wrong with that. It just invites ridicule when the biggest deal a team has ever handed out goes to a decent-but-not-great outfielder.

Benintendi does most things reasonably well, although he lacks a carrying skill. He swings left-handed, which is something the Sox need. He plays respectable defense in left field -- he won a Gold Glove in 2021 as a member of the Kansas Ciry Royals -- which is also something the Sox need.

His career slash line is .279/.351/.782 over seven seasons, with OPS+ of 109 -- meaning he's been 9% above league average as an offensive player for the totality of his career. Benintendi's contact rate is good; he takes his fair share of walks (a bonus for the free-swinging Sox); and he's a decent baserunner.

One big concern: While Benintendi hit a career-best .304 last season, he managed only five home runs. He's hit as many as 20 in a season (2017 with the Boston Red Sox), so cross your fingers and hope that a little bit of that power returns playing in hitter-friendly Guaranteed Rate Field. The Sox struggled last season, in part, because of the lack of home runs in their lineup. Benintendi does not solve this problem.

In fact, this signing does not change the fact that the Sox are counting on healthy, more effective seasons from Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson and Yasmani Grandal. They are counting on Eloy Jimenez to finally play 100-plus games in a season, too.

The Benintendi signing helps in that regard, because he's going to play left field. Jimenez can put away his glove for the most part, and focus on being the best designated hitter he can be.

Essentially, Benintendi raises the floor of the 2023 Sox. He's not a All-Star. He's not going to carry the team. But he can provide some stability, and prevent the Sox from being tempted to play a first baseman in the corner outfield. 

The expectation should be a 2.0 to 3.0 WAR season for Benintendi. If he does that, he's a complementary piece to the so-called "core," whom the Sox are counting on to carry them back to the playoffs in 2023.

Carlos Rodon joining Yankees on 6-year contract

Carlos Rodon

Former White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon on Thursday agreed to a six-year, $162 million contract with the New York Yankees.

My first thought was, "Didn't Rodon always pitch well against the Yankees?"

The answer to that is, yes, he did, especially at Yankee Stadium. As pointed out by Chris Kamka on Twitter, Rodon has made four career starts in the Bronx. He's 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA.

But perhaps his most memorable outing was his no-decision, which came on May 21, 2021. Rodon went six shutout innings, allowing only two hits. He struck out 13(!) and walked none. Of course, the Sox found a way to lose that game, 2-1, because neither Michael Kopech nor Evan Marshall pitched well in relief.

That particular game served notice that Rodon was healthy and operating at his peak power, and he's been mostly good ever since. His one season in San Francisco turned out well -- 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA in a career-high 31 starts. He finished sixth in the 2022 NL Cy Young voting.

Of course, health will always be the question with Rodon. When he pitches, he's good. However, he's probably a bad bet to make it through a six-year contract without landing on the injured list a few times.

That said, if Rodon makes it to October 2023 in one piece, the Yankees finally have a legitimate No. 2 starter to pair with Gerrit Cole. That increases their odds of finally getting past the Houston Astros in the American League playoffs.

I would call this move "high-risk, high-reward" for the Yankees, but given their position, it's the right gamble to take.

Carlos Correa signs 13-year deal (!) with San Francisco Giants

Carlos Correa

The San Francisco Giants swung and missed in their attempt to sign Aaron Judge, who was the biggest free agent on the market this offseason.

Give the Giants credit. They dusted themselves off and took a big swing at the second-biggest free agent available. This time, they converted, reeling in All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa with a 13-year, $350 million contract.

Thirteen years!

Correa is 28 years old, a superstar in the prime of his career. I don't doubt for one second that Correa is going to be tremendously productive during the front half of that contract. The back half? We'll see. The deal takes him through his age-40 season. He might not be so good by then, but if the Giants win the World Series while Correa is still an elite player, I'm sure they can live with it.

The thing about Correa is, he was a free agent last offseason, too. He signed with the Minnesota Twins for three years, $105 million -- with an opt out after each season. After one season with Minnesota, he opted out and bet on himself. Now, he's cashed in big.

I've heard that Correa was looking for a 10-year deal last year. The Cubs were among the teams interested, but ultimately, nobody was willing to give him that length of contract. Had a team offered him that, they'd probably have Correa under contract for nine more years at this point.

Instead, he went back on the open market and got himself 13 years, after two other prominent shortstops signed for 11 years -- Trea Turner in Philadelphia and Xander Bogaerts in San Diego.

It just goes to show that the price for these elite players only tends to go up. Some of these teams that are waiting for the price to come down to levels they are "comfortable" with, that's just a failing strategy.

Now, Dansby Swanson is the top remaining shortstop on the market. He's a good player, but he's not a franchise changer like Correa or Turner.

However, I won't be surprised if some team gives Swanson the contract that Correa should have gotten last season.

Some other MLB free agent signings

The Carlos Correa speculation is in overdrive here in Chicago. Being a White Sox fan, it doesn't concern me. I'll root against Correa no matter where he signs. While that media firestorm continues, here's a look at some other recent free agent signings: 

• RHP Chris Bassitt, Toronto Blue Jays, 3 years, $63 million 
• C Mike Zunino, Cleveland Guardians, 1 year, $6 million 
• RHP Ross Stripling, San Francisco Giants, 2 years, $25 million 
• LHP Sean Manaea, San Francisco Giants, 2 years, $25 million 
• OF Kevin Kiermaier, Toronto Blue Jays, terms undisclosed