Cubs Carlos Correa hopes looking grimmer by the day

Star free agent Carlos Correa has been linked to the Chicago Cubs many times this offseason, but hope appears to be diminishing as more details come out.

As the rumor mill keeps on turning, the idea of star free agent Carlos Correa joining the Chicago Cubs seems to become more like a distant dream.

While it is possible the Cubs could land him considering they have a lot of payroll cleared up between Jason Heyward being cut and Willson Contreras likely leaving, there’s probably going to be a hard-fought battle with the Minnesota Twins, who have already made at least one offer.

The Twins are expected to go full force to keep Correa around, as they should. He created a good reputation with his great defense and emerged as a leader on the team, and his decision to opt out was likely business based in an effort to maximize his earnings.

The Twins are also expected to offer him a hefty contract to keep him in Minnesota, quite possibly one of the largest in club history. The deal could reportedly go long-term with the potential for 6, 8 and 10-year deals. Between this information and several other teams also interested in Correa, the Cubs will have a lot to consider as it’s going to be a massive signing.

Cubs may have to offer a long-term deal if they want Carlos Correa

Correa is the youngest of the four star free-agent shortstops on the market this offseason, so it’d make the most sense to offer him the long-term contract. However, he is approaching 30, and performance does tend to decrease in many players through their 30s.

If he were signed to a long-term deal, he’d have just two seasons of his contract before he hit his 30s, not allowing much time in what’s typically expected to be one’s prime in the league. It’d be a risk that could backfire.

For those reasons, the Cubs may lose the bid for Correa. According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, Chicago isn’t likely to go past six years. Rogers shared on NBC Sports Chicago’s Cubs Talk podcast, “Six years is probably the extreme end of what the Cubs want to do.”

If the Twins offer him a long-term contract worth a significant amount of money, Chicago may back down as they may not be willing to do the same.

Though they still seem to be one of the best-suited teams to land Correa, there are many reasons coming up that make the deal seem less and less hopeful.