Star shortstop Carlos Correa and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $350 million, 13-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.
Correa also was a free agent one year ago after leaving the Houston Astros, and he reached a $105.3 million deal with the Minnesota Twins. That agreement gave him the right to opt out after one year and $35.1 million to hit the market again.
And the 28-year-old Correa indeed moved once more, this time to a Giants team that recently missed out in its bid to sign free agent Aaron Judge.
Correa’s guarantee will be the fourth-largest in baseball history. Mike Trout got a $426.5 million, 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, Mookie Betts has a $365 million, 12-year agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Judge, the new AL home run champ and MVP, is getting $360 million for nine years to remain with the New York Yankees pending a physical.
Correa was one of the headliners in a stellar group of free-agent shortstops that also included Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson – Swanson is the only one in that group still available.
Correa got the latest big-money deal in a spending spree during the first offseason of baseball’s new labor contract.
Philadelphia signed Turner for $300 million over 11 years, San Diego got Bogaerts for $280 million over 11 years, Texas signed pitcher Jacob deGrom for $185 million over five years and the New York Mets retained outfielder Brandon Nimmo for $162 million for eight years.
Correa hit .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI in his one season with Minnesota.
Brandon Crawford, a three-time All-Star, has been the Giants’ shortstop since 2011. Crawford, who turns 36 next month, slumped to a .231 average with nine homers and 52 RBI last season, down from a .298 average with 24 homers and 90 RBI in 2021.
Crawford has a $16 million salary in 2023, then can become a free agent. He has dealt with injuries in recent seasons and might consider retirement at the conclusion of his deal, so the Giants were searching for a shortstop of the future.
The Giants went 81-81 last season, a year after posting a franchise-record 107 wins.
Correa was selected by Houston with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 amateur draft, and he played a key role in the Astros’ rise from the bottom of the AL West to the franchise’s first World Series title in 2017.
He hit a career-best 26 homers in 2021 in his last year with Houston, also finishing with a .279 batting average and 92 RBIs. He earned his second All-Star selection and first Gold Glove.
DODGERS: Pitcher Noah Syndergaard and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a $13 million, one-year deal, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the agreement had not been announced.
The deal includes the opportunity to earn $1.5 million in performance bonuses.
Syndergaard began last season with the Los Angeles Angels, posting a 3.83 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 15 starts. The 30-year-old right-hander was traded to the Phillies in August and his numbers fell off. His ERA ballooned to 4.12 and he averaged 5.1 strikeouts per nine innings. He made nine starts in 10 appearances for the eventual World Series runner-up.
Syndergaard had Tommy John surgery in March 2020 before the season was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. An injury setback delayed his return for the 2021 season before he made two relief appearances for the New York Mets late in the season.
ATHLETICS: Aledmys Díaz and Jace Peterson, who both can play the infield and outfield, reached agreements with Oakland on two-year contracts through the 2024 season.
Peterson gets a $9.5 million deal that pays $4.5 million next season and $5 million in 2024. Díaz has a $14.5 million agreement that includes salaries of $6.5 million next year and $8 million in 2024, and he can earn $500,000 annually in performance bonuses for plate appearances: $125,000 each for 250, 300, 400 and 500.
TIGERS: Detroit agreed to terms with the 31-year-old left-hander MatthewBoyd, who pitched in Detroit from 2015-21, on a one-year contract.
He can earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses for starts: $250,000 each for 20, 22, 24 and 26. Boyd was 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10 games last season and pitched in a playoff game for Seattle. He was acquired by his hometown Mariners from the San Francisco at the trade deadline.
RAYS: Tampa Bay finalized right-hander Zach Eflin’s $40 million, three-year contract on Tuesday, the largest deal for a free agent in Rays history.
He will make $11 million next season, $11 million in 2024 and $18 million in 2025. Eflin would get a one-time $1 million assignment bonus if traded.
ROCKIES: Colorado added right-hander Pierce Johnson to its bullpen as they signed the Denver native to a $5 million, one-year contract.
Johnson spent the last three seasons with the San Diego Padres. He appeared in three postseason games last season for the Padres, who made it to the NLCS before being eliminated by Philadelphia.
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