Cubs, Carlos Correa have ‘mutual interest’ – but a question of years remains

670 the Score and WSCR-AM baseball insider Bruce Levine reported Tuesday afternoon that the Chicago Cubs are showing “serious” interest in free agent shortstop Carlos Correa, per sources. His report mentions that mutual interest had been shown between the two sides prior to December.

Now that MLB is under a lockout, no negotiations can take place between the two sides, but there appears to be a real possibility when it comes to the 27-year-old All-Star infielder coming to the North Side.

But, as is often the case, there could be a catch.

Will the Chicago Cubs get outside their comfort zone for Carlos Correa

Levine’s report suggested the Cubs bringing in Correa could ride on how many years a potential contract would come down to. Money is, or at least should be, no object to the team as their payroll had been greatly reduced with all the trades and contracts coming off the books. The length, however, seems like the biggest hurdle at this stage.

"“The Cubs have the money to sign Correa,” a source said. “However, the only hesitation is about the length of the deal – not the annual average value of the contract.”"

It was not long ago when the Detroit Tigers reportedly offered Correa a 10-year, $275 million deal and he rejected it. It’s no secret that getting Correa to the Cubs is going to take a hefty financial and time commitment. Marcus Stroman signed a three-year deal, which surprised many, but considering Correa is an everyday player and is considered one of the best free agents in this year’s class, there will almost certainly be no bargains.

It’s not really surprising years could be an issue. Players want as much security as possible and teams are hesitant to commit to one player for a decade or more. It could require the Cubs to add a bit more money if they want to shave down the years under 10. One also cannot help but wonder how the new CBA could potentially impact stuff like this if it does at all.

While this report itself does not mention other interested teams, the Astros, Yankees and Dodgers among others have been mentioned as suitors in various reports. The Cubs will not be the only team chasing him, even with Detroit reportedly out of the mix.

Again, nothing can happen as of right now and who knows when there will be a new CBA negotiated and implemented, but things can become a lot more clear when that happens.