Red Sox could have massive plan still in place after Baez signs with Tigers

After Javier Baez agreed to a multi-year contract with the Detroit Tigers, there is a chance the Boston Red Sox have a massive fallback plan.

All eyes this MLB Hot Stove season is on the stacked shortstop free agency class. The options are dwindling down after Corey Seager and Marcus Semien signed with the Texas Rangers. But on early Tuesday morning another option was taken off the board, as Javier Baez agreed to terms with the Detroit Tigers on a six-year, $140 million contract.

The Boston Red Sox were reportedly one of three teams that were interested in signing Baez, per MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. With Baez no longer available, the Red Sox could have a massive fallback plan in big-name free agent Carlos Correa.

Carlos Correa an option for the Red Sox?

As you can see in The Athletic’s Jim Bowden’s tweet above, the Red Sox are listed as what’s left on the “Correa watch.” In a previous mailbag article earlier this month, Bowden wrote that there is a “strong possibility” that the Red Sox make a “quiet play” for Correa.

The fit with Boston does make sense, considering that manager Alex Cora was Correa’s bench coach with the Houston Astros during the 2017 season. But, the real question is would the Red Sox get Correa to sign on the dotted line?

Last offseason, Francisco Lindor set the market by signing a 10-year, $341 million deal with the New York Mets. This offseason, Seager earned the most total money out of any free agent, agreeing to terms with the Rangers on a 10-year, $325 million contract. It is obvious that Correa wants to make top shortstop money, considering he did not accept a five-year, $160 million offer from the Astros after the 2021 season.

The Red Sox were two wins away from reaching the World Series this past postseason. Could they go scorched earth and find a way to sign Correa to build one of the best infields in the game? We will just have to wait until the shortstop makes his decision.