Ranking Remaining Third Base Options for Mariners

Sign Carlos Correa to a Big Deal

The single best player left on the free-agent market is Carlos Correa. There is no doubt that he is an absolute superstar, one of the best in the game. The Astros star shortstop was expected to get a massive contract to play shortstop somewhere else this winter. However, due to the way the free-agent market has played out thus far, it is now in question. The Detroit Tigers were expected to offer him a huge 10 plus year contract. The Tigers opted to sign Javier Baez instead.

Now, Correa has a unique market, he could always go back to Houston, but the Astros have never been willing to offer him lots of money reportedly. The Yankees could have a need for a shortstop, but does Carlos Correa want to go play in New York, where all the fans hate him for the cheating scandal? The Dodgers always spend lots of money, but the same problem arises. Does he want to go to a team where the fans have booed him repeatedly?

This is where the Mariners come in. Of course, Mariners fans do not like Correa as well and have booed him, but every stadium they traveled to in 2021 booed Correa and the Astros. He is not held as the face of cheating to the degree he is in New York or L.A. The Mariners have a need at third base, and if he is willing, Carlos Correa would be a dream fit for Seattle. He is a star in his prime, and probably has to move to third base as he ages anyway. He just turned 27 in September.

The Mariners would certainly not get Carlos Correa to come to Seattle for cheap, they would need to pay up. Since his market has not developed as he wanted, a short to medium-length contract for a high annual average salary is possible. If they offered him a 5 year deal for $175 million, that would pay him $35 million a year, making him the highest-paid shortstop over Francisco Lindor, and Seattle could include opt-outs to let Correa have the opportunity to try the market again.

They could also go a little more long-term. They could go anywhere from 5-8 years, and not feel like it hurts their long-term payroll. They could give him $33 million, just more than Corey Seager who signed with Texas, and give him opt-outs if he wanted them. The Mariners could offer a lot of money to Correa, and the opportunity to return to the market in a few years. The Mariners get a 27-year-old and even a 10-year deal expires when Correa is 37, so it would not be the worst deal ever.

Carlos Correa offers a world of possibilities that would drastically change the future of the Mariners; he would be what Robinson Cano was supposed to be, but young enough and good enough to deliver. He would change the future and the present, and only offers excitement for the Mariners.

The next option is a very pure and simple fit for Seattle at third base: