Fan Interference

SS Carlos Correa has signed with the San Francisco Giants—for 13 years and $350M. 13 years takes him through his age 41 season. The average annual value of the deal is several million a year less than he made this season with the Twins, but it’s for 13 years, though his age 41 season.

Okay, I’m not clutching pearls here, good on Correa for getting such a deal. However, the recent trend of such long term commitments is bound to bite some teams in the butt. Correa, a great player, is actually a good example. Each year 2017-2019 he missed significant time due to injury. Injuries become more common with age. Deals that essentially encompass the rest of a player’s career are almost certain to pay for declining production even if the player is healthy in the second half of the deal. The expectation is that inflation and rising income will make $26M or whatever not seem so bad in 13 years. However, assuming the economy and the entertainment industry don’t crater, it will still be a whole lot of money, and maybe a burden on the team budget if it’s for a player who can’t contribute. Taking up a bench spot for a high priced, rarely used player is also not ideal. I’m not saying that will be Correa’s future—but it is almost certain to apply to some of these really long deals we’ve seen signed the past couple years (and especially this year). Ah, well, not my money.

I will address one other thing I’ve occasionally read—no, this does not mean the Giants “have to raise ticket prices to pay for this deal.” That’s not how it works. The Giants will charge what fans will pay. Teams hope signing a star player means they can charge more, in order to make more money, not simply pay for a contract. If the team wins, it generally works. If fans don’t like the product on the field , it doesn’t. That’s it.