Carlos Correa is revealing behind-the-scene details on what occurred the day his Giants deal fell apart.
The sides were set for a Dec. 20 press conference at Oracle Park after reportedly agreeing to a 13-year, $350 million contract. The Giants postponed the introduction, though, after a failed physical, leaving the star shortstop and his entire family -- who were with him in San Francisco -- stunned and filled with emotion.
After the Giants shared their concerns about Correa’s physical, the 28-year-old had to inform his family what was happening.
“I came back to the room,” Correa told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal earlier this week in an exclusive interview. “Everyone was in the room. And I told them straight away: The deal is not going through. There is an issue with the physical. They looked at me kind of funny, like, ‘You’re joking, right?’ I said, ‘No, I’m being serious.’ Then there was complete silence for a little bit. Then I noticed my mom getting teary-eyed. She walked away and came back, I’ll say, 20 minutes later. Her and my dad had been crying.
“It was a way tougher moment for me to see my family go through that than it was for me to find out the deal wasn’t going through with San Francisco. Everything I do, I do for my family. The reason I played baseball growing up was to get my family out of poverty.
"I knew a deal was going to get done at some point. If it was not with [the Giants], maybe with another team. For me, the tough part was seeing my family crying and hurting because of the news.”
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Correa was ready to begin this new chapter of his career as the face of the Giants. Even Brandon Crawford welcomed the former Houston Astro to the Bay after the fellow shortstop learned of Correa’s pending arrival.
As a result, Correa likely saw the press conference as a celebration. He had several family members there for the occasion before receiving the tough news.
“Everybody [was in attendance],” Correa said. “It was my parents. My brother. My sister. My wife’s parents, who are with us all the time now that we have a baby and another one on the way.
“They’re the ones who help us around the house. They’re with us full time. And there were people from my agency, Boras Corp. And my hitting coach — José Rivera, who has been with me since I was 11 years old — and a couple of people from my inner circle who work with me. We were all in the hotel waiting for the press conference the next day.”
RELATED: Correa has 'no hard feelings' toward Giants, Mets for failed contracts
After the deal fell apart, Correa’s agent, Scott Boras, quickly agreed to terms with the New York Mets on a 12-year, $315 million contract. However, that agreement also fell apart as the Mets had the same concerns about Correa’s physical.
The Correa saga finally ended this week, as he returned to the Minnesota Twins on a six-year, $200 million contract.
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