Steve Cohen Discusses Mets Chase For Carlos Correa: ‘We Got There Late’

just before Carlos Correa He signed his 13-year, $350 million deal with the Giants, and the Mets made an effort to land the star shortstop. Mets owner Steve Cohen shed more light on that pursuit in an interview with John Heyman of the New York Post, in which Cohen said he contacted Corea agent Scott Boras with an offer of nearly $300 million. However, by that point, the Giants and Korea camp were already deep enough in negotiations that Boras and company didn’t want to turn back.

As Cohen simply said,We got there latein the Korea market.We thought maybe he would fall into our hands… He’s a great leader and a good guy. He can play third base. He is an amazing defender. “

Attitude changes have been rolled out to all of Korea, Xander BogaertsAnd the Tria TurnerAnd the Dansby Swanson In numerous permutations by several teams this winter, even at the top of the shortstop market, clubs have creatively explored ways to fit these players into their lineup even if another good shortstop is already on the roster. In New York, of course Francisco Lindor He was already booked into the shortstop role during the 2031 season, and so Correa had to move into the hot corner.

Lindor’s presence made the Mets something of a spectator at the shortstop market, but when Correa remained in the market, Cohen checked on Boras to see if something could be done. Edward Escobar (Signed to a two-year, $20 million deal last offseason) He is the current third baseman for the Mets, but if Correa is signed, Escobar should become an eligible utility player, or perhaps a trade chip.

It’s also fair to say that Cohen’s interest may have been preoccupied elsewhere, which prevented him from doing a show prior to Korea. New York has already re-signed Edwin Diaz And the Brandon NemoAnd they brought Justin VerlanderAnd the Kodai SingaAnd the Jose QuintanaAnd the David RobertsonAnd the Omar Narvez In the barn while boasting an exceptional free agent. The result is a payroll of about $343.56 million, and a luxury tax figure of $356.3 million—both records in MLB history.

“Nobody likes to spend money. But this is the price“To do business, Cohen said, is because the Mets want to win but aren’t interested in being traded out of their farm system. If that means operating at a loss in order to chase a World Series, that’s fine in Cohen’s view. Also, the owner noted that the club was He also has plenty of holes to fill (mostly on the show’s cast) due to his free agent class.While Nemo and Diaz are retained, Jacob DeGrumAnd the Taeguan WalkerAnd the Chris BassettAnd the Trevor MayAnd the Trevor WilliamsAnd the Joel Rodriguez They all occurred elsewhere.

“My team is good. But it’s not much better than last year. If you want a good team, that’s what it costs. what are you going to doCohen asked rhetorically.

As much as there didn’t seem to be a limit on New York’s spending, Cohen said Korea market conditions played in the Mets’ favor, as he was seeking a signature.It made sense…and don’t get crazy.“The fact that an offer of $300 million plus the Mets’ other outlay isn’t considered ‘insane’ is another impressive example of how Cohen is redefining baseball’s salary boundaries, however.”I have been dealing with large numbers for a long time. These numbers do not scare me at all. It’s not like I’m not respectful about what these other teams have to deal with. “