Angels News: Could the Halos Jump in and Poach Carlos Correa from the Mets?
All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa has set a new record with 25 years of contracts agreed to this offseason, and he might not be done yet! After losing his 13-year deal with the Giants because of concerns over his physical, Correa immediately jumped to the Mets and agreed to a 12-year deal with them. Unfortunately, New York ended up having the same concerns over his surgically repaired leg the Giants did, and there are rumblings this second deal might fall apart, too.
All of which leads to the most important question for our purposes: Could the Angels jump in and sign Correa? After all, they've made a series of strong moves this offseason but still have a need at shortstop, and Correa is probably the best shortstop in baseball. If his deal with the Mets falls through, he's fair game with two suitors potentially off the board.
Also, if the deal does fall apart, it's hard to picture any other team getting anywhere near 12 years on his next agreement, which could bring several teams back into the bidding. If Correa resigns himself to a deal in the six-to-eight-year range, the Angels could definitely get into the bidding.
The Halos' payroll for 2023 is estimated at about $205 million, so any deal for Correa would almost surely put them over the luxury tax threshold unless they shed some salaries elsewhere. The big question would be whether they'd be willing to go into the luxury tax while owner Arte Moreno is working on selling the team — but earlier this offseason, they said they have no issue doing that. They even proved it by reportedly offering a contract to Willson Contreras, who went for five years and $87.5 million with the St. Louis Cardinals.
For a talent like Correa, it might make sense and would definitely be worth it. The Angels won't be the only team interested if Correa does become available for the third time this offseason, but they have a definite need and could be major players.
