The owner-implemented lockout continues to keep the MLB offseason on pause, but the occasional rumor of an actual transaction does occasionally claw its way to the surface. Friday's allotment gives us something to think about besides ongoing CBA negotiations, so let's dig in.
Yankees checked in with Carlos Correa before lockout
The Yankees could use an upgrade at the shortstop position, and free agent Carlos Correa is still available. Regarding all of that, here's Jon Heyman:
Yankees called on Carlos Correa before the lockout. Likelihood is unclear since it seemed like Seager was higher on wish list, and Correa was seeking even more $ than Seager got ($330M to $325M). Other potential fits: ATL, Cubs, LAD, LAA, HOU, TOR, DET, SF, STL, BOS
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 25, 2022
It remains to be seen whether the Yankees, despite their pronounced need at the position and vast resources, will be willing to meet Correa's ask, but there's no question that's it's a fit. His addition would almost certainly make the Yankees the consensus favorite to win the 2022 World Series.
Correa, thanks to his excellent defense at the premium position of shortstop and All-Star-caliber bat, is our No. 1 ranked free agent for the 2021-22 offseason, and he'll eventually sign a contract that reflects that lofty ranking.
Mets have some interest in Freddie Freeman
The Mets have been the offseason's biggest spenders, what with names like Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar, and Mark Canha being added to the fold. Maybe, however, Steve Cohen isn't done adding to what right now is MLB's largest payroll. During an appearance on the Michael Kay Show, ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the Mets prior to the lockout checked in on the availability of free-agent first baseman Freddie Freeman. Some additional thoughts from Olney:
Re: Freeman and question of whether he might be comfortable in NY, if he doesn't sign w/ATL or some other team--he reminds me of Paul O'Neill, who was more attuned to his own internal struggle rather than hearing outside voices/gripes. Freeman, like PO, is his own toughest critic
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 25, 2022
Freeman has spent his entire career with the world-champion Braves, but it's quite possible that Atlanta won't be willing to meet the going rates on Freeman. Freeman entered the offseason ranked by CBS Sports as the fifth-best available free agent. Here's what we wrote at the time:
It's hard to imagine the Braves allowing Freeman to leave. Still, we're including him for posterity's sake. Freeman is a sensational hitter who hasn't posted an OPS+ of less than 130 since he was a 22-year-old in 2012. He's also a mighty fine first baseman, and he's become a bastion of durability as of late: over the last four years, he's appeared in 539 of the Braves' 545 games (that's 98.9 percent, for those without access to a calculator). It's to be seen what kind of term Freeman seeks, but on paper he seems like someone who should age gracefully.
The Mets of course already have a first baseman in slugger Pete Alonso, but the expectation is that the National League will have the designated hitter on a permanent basis starting in 2022. That would create room for both Freeman and Alonso in the Mets' lineup. Needless to say, adding an accomplished hitter like Freeman and plucking him from a division rival is an appealing proposition for the Mets and their partisans.
