28 days, 3 teams — and countless twists: Inside the Carlos Correa free agency saga
When Carlos Correa agreed to terms with the New York Mets, his agent called it Correamas Day, but for those who have been following the saga leading up to the shortstop agreeing to a six-year deal with a vesting option with the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, it has felt more like Correahog Day.
ESPN MLB reporters Jeff Passan, Jesse Rogers and Kiley McDaniel break down how a month-long free agency saga led Correa from San Francisco to New York and then finally back to Minnesota.
Dec. 13, 2022: Correa becomes the $350 million face of the Giants — or so it seems
After the Giants finished second in the Aaron Judge sweepstakes, they pivoted to the 28-year-old Correa, the best player remaining on the free agent market, and overwhelmed him with the fourth-largest deal in baseball history. At $350 million, Correa was set to earn more than Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson, the other three star shortstops available via free agency this winter, and become the face of the franchise in an ever-competitive NL West. In doing so, Correa spurned Minnesota — where he played in 2022 — and the New York Mets, who made an 11th-hour run. The Twins publicly acknowledged they couldn’t compete with a big-market team if it came in and swooped up Correa. Minnesota’s offer of 10 years, $285 million simply wasn’t enough.
Dec. 20, 2022: Giants delay Correa’s introduction — and the saga truly begins
A routine physical — part of the process when a free agent signs a new contract — was anything but routine. A news conference scheduled to introduce Correa was abruptly called off in the morning. Later, Giants president Farhan Zaidi admitted to a “difference of opinion” regarding the review of Correa’s medicals. The issue, according to sources, involved the lower part of his right leg, which required surgery in 2014 when Correa was in the minors. Doctors feared his leg would degrade over the length of the contract. The Giants proposed stepping away and reevaluating the deal with the potential for a restructuring. Correa and his agent, Scott Boras, chose another path.
Dec. 21, 2022: Carlos Correa pivots to Mets in a late-night stunner
While the Giants hesitated, Boras called Mets owner Steve Cohen, who already had committed nearly $500 million to free agents this winter, and asked if he wanted back in on Correa. Cohen did, and within 12 hours of Correa’s deal with the Giants falling apart, the shortstop had a brand-new megadeal with the Mets: 12 years, $315 million — still for more years and money than his free agent peers. Cohen, who negotiated the deal while on vacation in Hawai’i, told the New York Post in the wee hours of the morning: “This puts us over the top.” Correa would move to third base and slot in the middle of the lineup for a team with a payroll that would approach half a billion dollars. All that was necessary to codify the deal: a passed physical.
Dec. 24, 2022: Mets have their own concerns about Correa’s physical
Like the Giants, the Mets saw issues with Correa’s right leg, according to sources. But the incentive was strong for Correa and the Mets to work through the concerns and work out a deal. Two failed physicals would put a damper on Correa’s market outside New York. Losing their key offseason acquisition would leave Mets fans wondering whether the 2023 team really is all that much better than the 2022 version that bombed out in the wild-card round.
Discussions focused on guarantee language. The Mets were fine keeping the 12-year, $315 million terms — but wanted only half of it guaranteed. Over the final six years of the deal, according to sources, the Mets proposed their medical staff would conduct a physical on Correa at the end of each season — regardless of his health during the season. The results of the physical would then determine whether the next year of the contract was picked up.
Boras wanted a deal closer to that of ones he’d negotiated in the past — for J.D. Martinez and J.D. Drew with the Red Sox, Magglio Ordonez and Pudge Rodriguez with the Tigers — containing provisions for specific injuries. With Martinez, for example, if he spent 60 days on the injured list with an injury related to the foot about which the Red Sox were concerned, they could convert the final two guaranteed years of his deal to mutual options.
The Mets stuck to their six-year, $157.5 million offer, and last week, with the sides making little progress, Boras ramped up his engagement with the Twins. Minnesota, more comfortable with Correa’s medicals after seeing him up close for a year, cognizant that the guarantee for him had taken a hit on account of the injury, pounced.
Even as momentum toward a deal with the Twins began to grow, the impact of the past month could still be felt.
“The optimism is real,” One team source told ESPN before the deal was agreed upon. “But I’ll believe it when the ink is actually dry.”
Jan. 10, 2023: Correa saga finally ends with six-year deal with Twins
On Tuesday, the Twins and Correa came to terms on a deal that would guarantee $200 million over six years. Included are vesting options that pay $25 million for a seventh year, $20 million for an eighth, $15 million for a ninth and $10 million for a 10th. It also includes a full no-trade clause and annual salaries of $36 million for the first three years, followed by $31.5 million, $30.5 million and $30 million.
The maximum value is $270 million — about $7.5 million more than the Mets would have paid him through 10 years but $15 million less than the Twins were set to guarantee him the first time. The average annual value of Correa’s guaranteed deal is $33.3 million, the second-highest figure for a shortstop behind only Francisco Lindor’s 10-year, $341 million deal with the Mets, and while the total dollars pale to Correa’s Giants deal, ending up at $200 million, following a pair of failed physicals, is far from worst-case.
The Correa saga is laden with what-ifs. What if they had paused and negotiated with the Giants? What if Cohen hadn’t gone on the record? What if Correa or the Mets had caved? What if the Twins didn’t swoop in? For now, as the proceedings seem to march toward the finish line, there is only one question to be answered: Did he pass his physical?
And if he does, the most tortuous, whiplash-inducing free agency in baseball history finally will see its end.
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Dave Wilson
AUSTIN, Texas — A week after Arch Manning struggled in a loss at Ohio State, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian saw his quarterback bounce back in a 38-7 win over San Jose State and said this game showcased more of Manning’s style.
Manning matched a career high with four touchdown passes, going 19-of-30 for 295 yards, and added a 20-yard touchdown scramble, tiptoeing down the left sideline at the end of the third quarter.
“I thought today was a by-product of the week of work. He played aggressive throughout the week. He studied the game plan. He knew exactly what we were trying to do, and I thought today he played more of his style,” Sarkisian said. “He extended plays, used his legs, scrambles for a touchdown. That’s the style of player that he is.”
On several plays, Manning rolled out and found receivers. A few of his passes were dropped, with Sarkisian saying Texas “didn’t catch the ball great for him.” But Sarkisian was pleased that Manning made plays when things broke down.
“Him playing his game and not trying to play at somebody else’s style of game, I think it is important for him,” Sarkisian said.
Manning also threw a bad interception while under pressure, heaving the ball into double coverage from the Spartans’ 14-yard line. San Jose State defenders had a shot at picking off a couple of his other throws but failed to haul them in.
“A lot to work on,” Manning said. “I thought it was sloppy for my part. Can’t turn the ball over in the red area. I’ve got to play better. I think all around, it was a little sloppy.”
Manning started slowly, going 3-of-6 for 11 yards on his first two drives. But then, on a third-and-3 with 2:52 left in the first quarter, Manning found Parker Livingstone along the left sideline, and he turned it upfield for an 83-yard touchdown.
The touchdown throw was part of a stretch where Manning went 5-for-5 for 142 yards and four touchdowns, including TDs on three consecutive passing attempts — a 3-yarder to Livingstone, then 36- and 16-yarders to tight end Jack Endries.
“Anytime you can get points on the board after a slow start, it feels good,” Manning said. “Then, [we] finally got some rhythm. Defense started stepping up, too, so we’ve just got to start quicker next week.”
The Longhorns, who committed 12 penalties for 115 yards, have four new offensive line starters, and many new players at wide receiver and tight end. And even Texas stars such as edge rusher Colin Simmons (two penalties for offsides, one for roughing the passer) didn’t perform their best.
“I think as our team in general goes, this is not the best version of Texas football this season that we’re going to see,” Sarkisian said. “My foot’s got to get in their butt here on Monday morning. That’s unacceptable. And there’s a standard in which we want to play the game, and 12 penalties does not meet that standard.”
Manning said all week that he had to play better for Texas to win. He was encouraged by his performance Saturday, finding a way to make plays, but doesn’t believe he’s at his best.
Sarkisian said Manning is gifted with his dual-threat abilities, but his team is learning on the fly how to block for him while he’s scrambling or that he could throw while on the move.
“There’s things that we’re learning as we go as a team, but those are some of the growing pains that we have to work through,” Sarkisian said.
Those growing pains still resulted in an easy win at home Saturday. For Sarkisian, he said he can see the trust growing among his players, including Manning.
“The guys rally around him, you can feel it today on the sidelines,” Sarkisian said. “They really like playing with Arch, and that’s important.”
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Andrea Adelson
The father of Florida State linebacker Ethan Pritchard was on the sideline Saturday for the Seminoles’ game against East Texas A&M.
Earl Pritchard and another family member were on the sideline wearing his son’s No. 35 jersey. Ethan Pritchard remains hospitalized in Tallahassee after surviving a gunshot wound to the head last weekend.
Prayers up. pic.twitter.com/NCTZyoxiTV
— Warchant.com (@Warchant) September 6, 2025
Florida State safety Earl Little Jr. brought out a No. 35 jersey to midfield for the coin toss, and Florida State players wore No. 35 wristbands to honor their teammate.
All Garnet with the Gold lids
Continuing to think about Ethan 🙏🏼#NoleFamily | #KeepCLIMBing pic.twitter.com/FD6GSNpo5F
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 6, 2025
#NoleFamily 🍢 pic.twitter.com/HSTjx9e7xp
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 6, 2025
Defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. wore a T-shirt with Pritchard’s face on it during pregame warmups.
According to Earl Pritchard, Ethan Pritchard was driving his aunt home when he was shot in the back of the head in Havana, Florida, 16 miles from Tallahassee, on Sunday night.
The Seminoles routed East Texas A&M 77-3 on Saturday, after which coach Mike Norvell presented Earl Pritchard with the game ball, and asked him to break the rock – a tradition generally given to the player of the game after each Seminoles victory.
💛♥️ #NoleFamily pic.twitter.com/kg2kJtMNRA
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 6, 2025
Norvell grew emotional as he discussed Pritchard during his postgame media availability.
“The way that he plays the game … he loves it, he absolutely loves it. To know that right now that’s taken away from him in a senseless act, you don’t always know why you have to go through things in life but I do believe God has his hand over Ethan and this football team,” Norvell said.
“To have Earl here today – He’s a wonderful man, and being with him I know it’s so very hard. I know it’s hard for anybody to have to go through, but he told me early in this week, ‘I know where my boy wants to be so I’m going to go stand in his place for him.'”
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