For Giants fans, nightmare doesn’t even begin to describe this.
In an unprecedented sequence of events, Carlos Correa is signing with the New York Mets less than 24-hours after he was scheduled to appear at Oracle Park for an introductory press conference with his new club in San Francisco, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network and confirmed by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The deal is reportedly for 12 years and $315 million, both figures less than the 13 years and $35 million that the Giants had reportedly agreed to give him.
Correa’s press conference with the Giants was scheduled for Tuesday morning, but was abruptly postponed hours before, with no word from the club as to why. A report from the Associated Press reveled that the Giants had found something in Correa’s physical on Monday, which led to the ceremony being scratched.
Still, no one was speculating that the issue would lead to the Giants and Correa not being able to work out a deal, much less that the shortstop would sign with a different team later Tuesday evening.
Though reports have never felt less official than they have during this offseason, it would appear the improbable has happened.
The Correa news is the second instance of a marquee star apparently heading to the Bay this offseason, only for the rug to be pulled. In the first instance, Aaron Judge was reported — by Heyman again — to be signing with the Giants, only for the reporter to backpedal and say he jumped the gun. The next morning, it was announced that Judge had signed with the Yankees.
The Giants now find themselves in a hellish predicament, with all of the remaining stars already signed by other teams. No matter where they go from here, this is going to be remembered as the worst offseason in recent franchise history.