by News broke early Wednesday that future Giant Carlos Correa would not actually become a Giant. It had been just a week since the shortstop agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with San Francisco — and, well, not anymore. Correa’s introductory press conference with the team was scheduled for Tuesday, but was canceled just hours before kickoff (reportedly due to a concern that arose during his physical). The whole deal fell apart in the middle of the night. Instead, Correa will join the Mets, signing with New York for 12 years and $315 million.
In less than 24 hours, Correa went from sure-fire Giant to potentially worrisome Met question mark.
In related news, here’s a list of the most frustrating ways to lose a free agent, ranked:
6. Make a token offer that you know will be rejected.
5. You make what you think is a pretty decent offer until you see a report that confirms that, wow, the market values this guy a lot higher than you thought.
4. You make what could it was a great deal if it wasn’t a little late.
3. You think you’re making great progress. That seems doable! Yes, the competition is high and he is the best player on the market, but you were his boyhood team. Discussions are going well. The money is there. This would represent a return of sorts for him, and a statement of purpose for you, and it looks like it might actually happen. But then you see a tweet. It is from one of the big newsbreakers in the industry, yet it reports news that cannot be true. It says your agreement with the player is complete. You make some frantic calls. No, no, that’s not trueare you listening But everything is good. Negotiations are still ongoing. Don’t worry, it was just a tweet, a broken rumor. You begin to refocus your efforts. But. But.
There was a typo in the tweet.
It’s understandable – just one letter away – but the result is stupidly funny. It’s hilarious in the way that only something very silly can be in the middle of something very serious. There are just as many people who take issue with the typo as there are with the actual references. You’re stressed to the point of breaking, but even you can admit that this is pretty, really funny.
Anyway — you lose. He chooses to re-sign with his old club. People soon forget the rumor that could have gone to you, but the typo haunts you everywhere, an ember of memory that won’t stop burning.
The Yankees named Judge captain Wednesday, the 16th in franchise history and the first since Derek Jeter retired in 2014.
Jessica Alcheh/USA TODAY Sports
2. You… win! You have your man. The deal is huge, hundreds of millions over more than a decade, but you got him. The i’s are dotted, the t’s are crossed. No waivers, a full no-trade clause, all that jazz. All that’s left is the natural, but, come on: The guy just switched teams last season and is a major league fixture for years. There will be no surprises there. So you’re celebrating. Fans rejoice. Yours The graphics team put together a stunning graphic of him in his new outfit, decked out in festive lights, to encourage people to buy tickets. An introductory press conference is scheduled. You keep adding to your roster—you need to beef up your rotation—but you allow yourself to start daydreaming about next season. That’s all you could want.
Except. Except someone has a problem with medical offices and now there are new conversations that no one wants to have, and soon, the press conference has to be postponed. You are working very hard to make sure no important details are leaked in the next few hours. There are questions of commitment, of history, of how you’re going to get through it all. This can be salvaged, until suddenly, it becomes clear that it simply cannot be. Once the clock strikes midnight on the West Coast, news comes that he’ll be going elsewhere, joining baseball’s richest owner to make the most expensive payroll in the history of the game even more expensive.
His graphic in your outfit comes to life: holiday lights around his neck, a celebration turned into something somber, a ghost of the Christmas that never was.
1. Yes, I know, I know — what could be worse than the latter? But imagine if a team had Number 2 and Number 3 happen to them in the same month! To two different free agents in a crucial offseason for them! When all other reasonable options are already out of the market! Kindness. Just imagine.
Oh wait…
