This Is Why Correa Deal with NY Mets Is Delayed & Will Get Done

Major League Baseball fans are growing impatient with the cat and mouse game going on between super-agent Scott Boras and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, involving the contract of Carlos Correa. The issue at hand? Correa's lower leg injury, that appears significant enough that the San Francisco Giants pulled away a $350 million deal and now the Mets are keeping the All Star infielder at a little less than arms-length for the same reason. Rumors came out on Thursday night that Correa's agent has reached out to other clubs. That may be true but Correa will end up a Met and this is why.

Steve Cohen didn't accumulate $15 billion in personal wealth by throwing money away. Could Cohen absorb a bad contract with Correa better than any other owner in MLB? Sure. The sticking point with contracts involving players that have pre-existing injuries, is insurance. According to ESPN.com, "each team evaluates its own threshold of risk. Some teams have a standard amount they will spend for a policy, while other teams will decide not to insure any players. According to one insurance executive, players that "make more than $3 million per year are considered insurable." Industry speculation is that a policy involving a 12-year $315 million contract for a player with a plate in his leg would be astronomical. So are Steve Cohen or Scott Boras going to walk away from a mega-deal that they both, along with Correa, want to work out? No. Baseball is a business and these are two of the biggest players in the game.

The Boras Corporation, according to Forbes, is the largest baseball agency in the world. As of November the agency represented 106 baseball players with contracts worth a hefty $3.8 billion. Those contracts equate to a sweet $191 million commission for the agent-to-the-baseball-stars' company. Hence, why would Boras want to tarnish a relationship the game's richest owner? He won't and he will go to great lengths not to do that. Then why won't this deal get done? Steve Cohen is playing his cards.

The Mets owner holds the cards and the cash. Even if Boris shops Correa around again, isn't he just going to go back to Cohen? Of course he is. He has to if he wants Cohen to spend his billions on Boras Corporation clients in the future. Is the Mets owner going to be out-bid by another team, especially a National League team? No, he's not. Plus, Cohen wants to win and will benefit from having a strong relationship with the game's top agent. This deal is going to happen. Carlos Correa will be a New York Met in 2023 and beyond. Steve Cohen is waiting to get the best deal because he can. Few owners hold a set of cards that can make Scott Boras sweat.