The New York Yankees are just a few weeks away from beginning their free-agent pursuits, which will be headlined by a strong shortstop class this off-season. Of course, the biggest and best option on the market is Houston Astros SS Carlos Correa.
Correa was the former first overall pick during the 2012 June Amateur Draft, the same class as Corey Seager, who is the next best option on the market. After the Gleyber Torres experiment failed to develop into anything productive, the Yankees are once again looking to spend big money to acquire a star player.
While some believe that Correa will sign elsewhere given his troubled history and the Yankees’ disdain for Houston’s actions, some insiders believe he’s certainly in the conversation for a long-term deal in pinstripes.
Kiley McDaniel of ESPN indicated that the Yankees could be the most motivated to attack Carlos Correa in FA, despite the cost:
There’s a real shot that a team (the Yankees are the most motivated) looks to jump the market and make a big, Lindor-adjacent offer before Dec. 1.
Correa had a phenomenal 2021 season with the Astros, hitting .279 with 26 homers and 92 RBIs over 640 plate appearances. He hosted at 18.1% strikeout rate and 11.7% walk rate, paired with elite defense.
Despite dealing with a few injuries in the past, Correa has proved to be healthy the past two seasons, playing in 148 games this past year, reaching the World Series once again.
One of the more attractive attributes Correa possesses is his clutch hitting, earning a .283 average during postseason play this past season. His experience and reliability are something the Yankees will value, especially since Seager has more health complications.
Nonetheless, it seems as if the Yankees will be intrigued by Correa and his qualities, despite expectations that he could be asking for up to $300 million between 8–10 years.