3 distinct ways the Chicago Cubs could structure a Carlos Correa contract

3 ways the Cubs could structure a Carlos Correa contract: 7 years, $280M

If you think Correa is magically going to change his mind and think a deal that doesn’t run for a decade or longer is acceptable, you need to understand something. For that to happen, you need to be throwing a record level of money his way annually – and that’s what this deal would do.

A seven-year pact at a $40 million AAV would make Correa the highest paid position player (in terms of AAV) in baseball history, topping Mike Trout’s $36 million mark. It would be the second-richest deal in terms of AAV, behind only Max Scherzer, who netted $43.3 million annually from the Mets this winter on a three-year deal.

Not only are you going to be coughing up at least $40 million each year, but odds are, for him to take this deal, there’s at least one opt-out in there somewhere, probably after year two or three so he could hit free agency again at the end of his 20s/start of his 30s, with a chance to cash in one last time in his career.

This is a lot of money – and even with Correa in tow, it’s hard to see the Cubs being legitimate contenders in 2022. Are you going to roll the dice long-term and hope you can build something around him? It’s a tough question to answer, that’s for sure.