Yankees Rumors: Carlos Correa injury concerns hold up pre-lockout offer?

After the New York Yankees watched Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Javier Baez sign big long-term contracts right before the lockout, fans were split in what they felt to be the team’s free agency plans.

Does this mean they were happy to watch the field narrow down so they could choose between Carlos Correa and Trevor Story? Or did they further prove they’re not willing to spend big on a shortstop … because Correa will likely get the largest deal and Story will definitely be closer to Semien’s range ($175 million) than Baez’s ($140 million)?

We truly do not know. But the Yankees, outside of signing Gerrit Cole and trading for Giancarlo Stanton, haven’t entirely been big spenders. And honestly, we can’t even really count the Cole deal because the Yankees lacked an ace for nearly a decade. They literally had to do what they did.

This time around, they need so many pieces despite already boasting an apparent star-studded roster. They’re missing a first baseman, shortstop and center fielder in addition to rotation and bullpen help.

Shortstop, however, is the most glaring void, and it appears the Yankees may have run into another issue on that front. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, prior to the lockout, there were concerns about Correa’s supposed lower back problems.

Olney said that teams were told they could only “access that information” if they made a significant offer to Correa. On what planet would a team make a $300 million-plus offer without being able to access pertinent medical information?

Did Carlos Correa’s back issues hold up a deal with the Yankees?

Does this surprise you? Whether you want Correa on the Yankees or not, there’s no denying he’s viewed as one of the biggest weasels in the sport, and we have evidence from the sign-stealing scandal and the resulting fallout that featured him as the Astros’ pit bull, defending the organization as well as his teammates at a moment’s notice.

Throw in his unsolicited comments about Derek Jeter’s Gold Gloves and his imprint on the game of baseball, and you have a very unlikable character. Reportedly withholding medical information during free agency negotiations? Seems par for Correa’s course.

Yankees fans quickly switched gears on the shortstop conversation as the postseason approached. Correa was NEVER regarded as a fit, then many of us got desperate and said, “You know what, we need a clutch postseason bat and a true team leader. Yeah, let’s do Correa over Seager now.”

Again — same with the Justin Verlander conversation — is it worth it to sell your soul to break a 12-season World Series drought? Correa’s been anti-Yankees since Day 1 and now we’re willing to ignored a checkered past AND detestable behavior in plain sight?

Maybe time to reconsider, folks.

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