Free Agent Targets: The Mariners should pursue Carlos Correa

The World Series is over, and the offseason is about to kick into full gear. There’s nothing else left in the way, and teams are going to start signing free agents and kicking the tires on trades. We’ve already done a bunch of trade proposals and free agent ideas, but now, it’s time to look at Carlos Correa, the biggest free agent on the market.

I don’t know what it is, but I kind of like him. Yeah, he was on the Astros and was involved in the scandal. I’m not denying that at all. He’s an incredible defender, an amazing hitter, and he is confident as can be.

The Mariners should sign Carlos Correa to lead their organization to the World Series.

I’ve been a proponent of celebrating, within reason, when you hit a home run. Big ol’ bat flips when it’s a big-time home run. This is no different. Correa put a dagger into the Red Sox, and in turn, put up a big celebration. That’s a conversation for another day though on celebrations, and why a lot of people think that they shouldn’t be allowed by some (hitters) but are by others (pitchers).

What I want is the Mariners to actually go out and sign Carlos Correa. “Wait, does that mean you want Crawford to move or leave?” Nope, that isn’t the case at all. Before the 2021 season started, Correa actually put it out on record that he would be willing to move around to get a new deal signed, or once he signs with a new team.

It would be tough to convince him to do that, as he put up great numbers on defense this season. He was T-10th and 1st in dWAR depending on where you look. I don’t think the team would ask Crawford to move off of SS, and that they could get Correa to play 3rd. Especially if they throw the bag at him and give him a contract in the realm of 10 years and $320 million. He might want a bit more than Lindor got at $341, and the team could have to commit to breaking that number.

Even at that much… you can argue that he is still worth it. Think about the type of numbers that he’s produced throughout his career.

• Low-mid 20s in HR yearly
• .277/.356/.481 slash line
• A 6.7, 7.0, and 7.2 WAR season, with his worst being a 3.1. Averaging 5.29 WAR
• Never had a dWAR below 1.1, and finished this season at 2.9
• Career 20.5% K rate and 10.8% BB rate, both better than league average

Those are all great numbers, and you could argue that he is still going to get better. It’s been a longstanding theory that players hit their prime seasons around age 27-29. Does he have a run of .290/.380/.520 with 30 homers in him? I think he does. The arm plays at third as well, so you don’t have to worry about the defense failing him if he moves to the hot corner.

Also, he just turned 27. So he’s playing nearly the entire next season at that age. A ten-year deal would sign him up through his age-36 season, which isn’t that crazy at all. It would be a lot different if he was 31 or 32. Signing a guy through their late 30s, and potentially into their 40s, is a completely different idea. Through his age-36 season though, that’s a great time to get a guy.

He would also bring an incredible amount of postseason experience for a relatively young player. The Astros went to the playoffs every year of his career outside of 2016, and he has played in 79 playoff games, which is a crazy amount of games for someone so young. That’s nearly half a season.

He’s hit well in the playoffs also, putting up a line of .272/.344/.505, with 16 2Bs, 18 HRs, and 59 RBI. That’s arguably better than what he does during the regular season. Paying the money feels a lot better when it is for someone with a ton of experience and success. As an added bonus, Correa might want to stick in the division to try and stick it to the Astros 19 times a season.

I really do want the Mariners to look into signing Carlos Correa to play third for the team. The left side of the infield becomes a monster, and you could even move Crawford down the line, put Correa back at SS, and put Noelvi Marte at 3B. That’s years away though. For now, I want to see the Mariners and Correa make a deal.