3 reasons why the Mets should be all-in on Carlos Correa

Mets President Sandy Alderson and new Mets GM billy Eppler have a ton of work to do this offseason

The New York Mets have quite a few needs on the roster, both on the macro and micro. In a basic sense, the Mets could use two starting pitchers, two outfielders, a third baseman, and another relief arm. As a result, the Mets should be talking to just about every big-name free agent this offseason. 

However, not everyone is a fit for the Mets. New York must shop at the top of the market. 

New York could use two “good” starters., maybe even three now that Noah Syndergaard departed for the Anaheim Angels earlier in the week. The starting rotation could use a legitimate top starter, like Colorado’s Jon Gray to offer a bit more consistency behind deGrom. 

The same goes for the outfield. Brandon Nimmo’s fate, whether that be in centerfield or left field gives New York one. After that? Khalil Lee performed well in Triple-A Syracuse (stats) but isn’t ready to hold down a starting job. That means, Marte makes sense if the Mets want to move Nimmo into a corner, but also, who replaces Michael Conforto in right? Avisail Garcia? Nick Castellanos? Tommy Pham? 

Carlos Correa fits in two places: Third base and a big bat. 

Correa is an elite defensive shortstop with the size, hands, and arm to maintain that skill as he moves over to third. We’ve seen players like Hanley Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez move over with no issues at all, I don’t envision many issues for Correa in a potential move. 

The bat is important. New York needs another bat to help Pete Alonso in the middle of the order. Adding Correa and slotting him in third in the order would do wonders for Alonso’s offense, as teams would have to worry about Nimmo (a classic leadoff man), Lindor, and Correa before getting to him. In terms of changing the offense, that would be huge for New York. 

New York’s offseason will have ancillary players added, but if the Mets want to take a considerable step forward, adding big-name players, Correa included, would help them reemerge as a contender in the National League East. 

After a poor 2020 season at the plate, the Mets will have to figure out to reestablish a new offensive core around Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor.

Now that the Mets have officially hired Billy Eppler to their general manager position, the former Angels figurehead has to figure out what to do with the remnants of an offensive core that struggled early and often in 2021. 

The good is still really good, however. Pete Alonso further established himself as a legitimate middle-of-the-order power threat and someone the Mets should extend this offseason. Brandon Nimmo continues to provide value at the top of the order and Francisco Lindor showed why he’s one of the best shortstops in baseball. 

After that, however, the talent fell off a cliff. James McCann and Micheal Conforto struggled, with the latter seemingly on the verge of leaving as a free agent. Jeff McNeil and Dominic Smith have taken steps back, J.D Davis’can hit but doesn’t have a true defensive position. All three seem like trade candidates this offseason to address other needs. 

The point is, the Mets once had a group of young, developing bats that seemed to sustain, even as the pitching scuffled. Everything worked because the Mets had young hitters who were cost-controlled and developing, so the Mets could take a bit more of their money to spend on the pitching side.

Now, the majority of those bats are getting paid and didn’t develop as planned (Smith) or in other cases, traded away (Amed Rosario). New York enters an offseason where both the hitting and the pitching have to be addressed, and ultimately, a new offensive core has to be created. 

New York will lean on their farm system for some affordable talent, but the infusion of free agents to make it work. Correa would be an expensive addition, but an effective one that changes the outlook of the club now and moving forward. Again, imagine a one-through-four at the top of the lineup of Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, and Pete Alonso. 

But adding a bat of Correa’s caliber also assists with the process of blending in young prospects, something New York wants to do over the new few seasons. That stability in the lineup eases the burden of Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Francisco Alvarez, and Ronny Mauricio as they make their way through the minor league. 

The conversation about Correa swirls around when discussing the price, but for his impact on the field, he's worth it.

Among the several concerns about Correa to New York is the potential compensation. Not only would Correa break the bank financially (let’s say $30 million per season), but he also comes with a qualifying offer, meaning the Mets would have to give up the 14th pick in the draft. The Mets, as of now, have the 11th and 14th overall selections in the 2022 draft; the 11th pick being compensation for failing to sign Kumar Rocker. 

A couple of things: The first is that the Mets, by letting Michael Conforto walk, will receive another pick, but after the second round. So losing that first-round pick doesn’t completely hamper that draft. 

New York should move that pick. Not just for Correa, but for Corey Seager, Robbie Ray, and other top-level free agents. New York needs a top talent for their roster more than a top 150 prospect who will be three to four seasons away and more likely trade bait before making mastering their trade in Queens. 

The protection over the 14th overall pick also highlights another issue among the Mets: They struggle to develop players. The MLB Draft isn’t just the first round, and that’s where the Mets have truly struggled. After the first three rounds, New York has often faltered in adding players between rounds four through 12, where other teams have succeeded in adding and unlocking players. 

It should also be said that the non-Kris Bryant alternatives don’t make much sense either. Trading for one of Oakland’s Matt Chapman or Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez will likely cost more in compensation; with both players holding multiple years of control. Chapman will likely start with Mauricio, while Cleveland could command Baty in a potential Ramirez swap. 

Speaking of Baty, that seems to be the main concern for fans of Mets prospects. Baty has not only experienced time at first base and left field in the minors, but with the potential arrival of the DH comes more flexibility in the lineup. Who’s to say Baty can handle left field well enough to be the future of the position, or Pete Alonso has to move off first? 

I look at Gavin Lux in Los Angeles. Lux was a first-round pick who blossomed into a top-five prospect in all of baseball. And yet, the Dodgers played Justin Turner at third, Corey Seager at shortstop, Chris Taylor played everywhere but handled both positions when need be, and then they added Trea Turner before the trade deadline. 

Brett Baty has mashed the ball in the Arizona Fall League and could be a great player, but you don’t allow good prospects to stop you from adding elite players and Carlos Correa is an elite player. 

The 14th pick gives New York another pick and more money for their bonus pool, but that doesn’t hide their issues with player development. If the Mets don’t figure that out, it doesn’t matter who the Mets bring in during the draft. 

But as far as Correa, this is where you move the pick. This isn’t a Michael Cuddyer one year and the pick is gone. Correa will most likely be a Met for eight to ten years and should well exceed his contract value within the first few seasons of that deal. The Mets losing one draft pick, even in the top 15, is a perfectly fine deal for a team that has several pieces that could contribute to a playoff team. 

The addition of Carlos Correa would give the Mets an elite player.

Despite winning the World Series, the Braves are catchable in the National League East. With a proper offseason and hiring the right manager to run the team, the Mets could be in contention next season. Adding an elite talent like Carlos Correa would only help those odds.

Players like Starling Marte and Kris Bryant make a ton of sense for New York and feel like likely targets. However, the Mets should be adding the best player in the market and that’s Carlos Correa. Of those three players, he’s the best hitter, arguably the best defender and he’s the youngest of the three. Much like the Francisco Lindor situation last winter, this is a chance for the Mets to flex financial muscle to add a star player. 

Will Correa land with the Mets, most likely, no. I personally think he’ll go to the Yankees (a team with two $30m contracts would be adding a third, something the Mets should do), but if the Mets want to become legitimate contenders in the National League, New York needs to add premier talent to the top of their roster and Carlos Correa offers the best opportunity at that. 

Let's see if they're willing to make that splash.