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Carlos Correa will be the leader among free agent shortstop

With the solo homer he hit Saturday at the top of the third inning of the game against the Texas Rangers, Carlos Correa he hit 20 home runs in a Major League Baseball season for the fifth time in his seven-year career with the Houston Astros.

And his Astros have 33 regular-season games left in which he could match or improve on his personal best of 24 he set in 2017.

The four-corner hit could not have come at a better time, after Correa made public statements to The Athletic in recent days that this would be his last season in Houston. So the good numbers will only help you improve the outlook for the mega-deal you’re aiming for, which some insiders and analysts estimate would be around nine figures and around 8-10 years.

It seems that the Santa Isabel is determined to embark on the adventure of free agency, and although his market value is currently estimated at around $ 25 million, if you compare his numbers with those of Fernando Tatis seniors ($ 340 million times 14 years and Francisco Lindor ($ 341 for 10 years), approaching $ 300 million and $ 30 million annually seems achievable.

Correa dominates Tatis in almost all statistics and goes hand in hand with Lindor’s. Tatis is only 22 years old and Lindor is 27, as is Correa.

Aiming for a $ 300 million contract, then, is not insane for Correa, who apparently turned down a $ 125 million six-year offer from the Astros, comparable to the deal from Xander Bogaerts, siore of the Red Sox.

According to data from sites like Baseball Reference, Bleacher Report, MLB comparisons.com, MLB.com, Fan Sided, Spotrac and others, Correa would go out to compete with one of the most talented groups of free-agent shortstop in MLB decades. That group includes Trevor Story, from Colorado; Corey Seager of the Dodgers; Javier Báez, if the New York Mets don’t decide to keep him, and Correa.

The combined Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of the 2017-2019 campaigns put Story first at 14.1, Baez next at 13.0, Correa at 10.6 and Seager at 10.1. But placed by WAR during their careers, they would stay that way.

Carlos Correa (32.4 WAR, age 27)

The Santa Isabelino is the youngest of the group, which could help him in the negotiations. Rookie of the Year in 2015, the first overall turn of the 2012 Draft, his path to the MVP-type player he projected was briefly derailed in the 2018 and 2019 seasons when back injuries put question marks on his physique and if his 6′4 ″ height has affected him at shortstop.

But the 2017 championship with cheats or not, his leadership, his two All-Star Games and above all, his exploits in the ‘clutch’ during the five postseason in which he has participated, when the miles count as they say in Aibonito, seem to place him above from the rest of the group. Its value according to Spotrac.com is $ 25.9 million and you earn $ 11.7 million.

In Correa’s case, the Cardinals have been mentioned as one destination, Cincinnati could be another, in addition to a meeting in Detroit with manager AJ Hinch. The Texas Rangers team also sounds like a possible headquarters. It would be a good addition to the Los Angeles Angels, who are looking to build the team that Mike Trout deserves in order to win a championship.

Trevor Story (24.7 WAR, age 29)

Story is a rare and deadly mix of speed and power, and an above-average glove. According MLB.com, Story was the fastest siore in history to hit 100 home runs, plus he’s the only player in history to have 35 home runs, 35 doubles and 20 stolen bases … twice, in 2018 and 2019.

Trevor Story Story was the fastest siore in history to hit 100 home runs, and he is the only player in history to have 35 home runs, 35 doubles and 20 stolen bases in one season, and he has done it twice, in 2018. and 2019. (David Zalubowski)

He was one of the most coveted players during the player trade deadline, and the Colorado Rockies left many wondering why they didn’t trade him in the end. There are analysts who highlight the fact that Story has played his entire career at Coors Field, a hitters’ paradise. But his stats show he’s been prolific on the road too, debunking the myth like DJ LeMahieu, his former Rockies teammate and now Yankees second baseman, did.

And precisely, the Yankees need a solid siore. But its value is estimated at $ 30.5 million per year and it makes $ 18.5 at the moment. Can the Yankees accommodate him on their payroll?

Javier Baez (22.0 WAR, 28 years old)

‘El Mago’ electrified Wrigley Field and Major League Baseball with his incredible baseball IQ, his exaggerated home runs, the arm cannon he has, and his quick hands when fielding and eliminating runners at second base. He injects passion and energy into whatever team he plays for, and now with the Mets he is living his dream of making a combination of double plays with his great friend Francisco Lindor.

Javier Báez might not have the highest value among all players because of his high strikeout rate.
Javier Báez might not have the highest value among all players because of his high strikeout rate. (Mary Altaffer)

The only ‘complaint’ with Báez would be his discipline at the plate. This season he already has 151 strikeouts and 95 hits. In 2020 he hit just .203 and has not done well with the Mets.

His value as a defender is incalculable, as is his clubhouse presence, and although the Mets have expressed an intention to try to retain him for the long term, for his most recent two seasons the market value could have dropped.

According Spotrac.com, its market value is $ 22.3 million annually. This year he makes $ 11.6 million. It seems that the Mets, after Lindor’s contract, could go low with the Bayamon and he explore other avenues, such as the Yankees (if they do not fill the SS with Story), Cincinnati or Oakland.

Corey Seager (19.0 WAR, 28 years old)

Seager had an incredible 2020 (.307, 15 HR, 12 2B, 41 RBI), and all of that was before the postseason, when his OPS was 1,256 and he was the MVP of the Championship Series and World Series. to help the Los Angeles Dodgers lift their first trophy in more than three decades.

Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, like Carlos Correa, was Rookie of the Year in 2015.
Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, like Carlos Correa, was Rookie of the Year in 2015. (Ashley Landis)

Perhaps, like Correa, injuries have somewhat eroded his value. Seager had Tommy John surgery and hip surgery in 2018, and in 2019 a hamstring took away playing time.

These factors could affect a long-term contract, but it is known that you can do everything.

He was also Rookie of the Year in 2015. His market value according to Spotrac.com It is about $ 29.5 million and is currently making $ 13.75.

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