Carlos Correa Update As Signing Freeze Fast Approaches

Baseball's collective bargaining agreement expires at midnight, and with that, will come a signing freeze, meaning still-available free agents will have to wait until after a deal between MLB and the players' union is struck.

According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, Carlos Correa is just fine to wait it out.

Carlos Correa has received much interest/many offers but is comfortable waiting through the coming lockout for the right one. And he will wait. The usual big spenders and a majority of playoff teams have not spent big yet, and if the tax threshold rises, that could benefit him.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 1, 2021

After watching his closest comparable, Corey Seager, fetch a 10-year, $325M contract from the Texas Rangers, Correa is "comfortable waiting through the coming lockout for the right (offer)," tweeted Heyman. He points out that "the usual big spenders and a majority of playoff teams have not spent big yet, and if the tax threshold rises, that could benefit him."

Another issue facing Correa is that many of the teams left who DO have money, already have a pretty good starting shortstop. Heyman says this, too, might not be a sticking point for the former Houston Astros' star.

Correa has received interest for 3B as well as SS but naturally the 2021 NL platinum glove winner prefers to stay at SS. He is said terrific at 3B, too, and his good friend A-Rod moved from SS to 3B for the right team, so for the perfect situation it’s possible he’d consider 3B.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 1, 2021

Correa is said to be a strong third baseman as well, though he does prefer to stay at short. But as Heyman notes, many SS stars before him have slid over to another position and made out just fine — Alex Rodriguez made the move to 3B for the New York Yankees, who already had a guy named Derek Jeter at short.

If Anthony Volpe is who the Yankees staff thinks he is Carlos Correa can move to third base the way A-Rod did.
— Gary Sheffield Jr. (@GarysheffieldJr) December 1, 2021

And just this past season, Marcus Semien agreed to play 2B for the Toronto Blue Jays after a career at shortstop, and things worked out pretty well for him as well.

In the meantime, Correa and his suitors will have to wait. For how long, no one knows. Talk to Rob Manfred and Tony Clark.

Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports